Stanisław Fijałkowski

Born in 1922 in Zdołbunów in Wołyń. From 1946 – 51he studied at the Art College (now Władysław Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts) in Łódź. His professors were Władysław Strzemiński and Stefan Wegner and his diploma work was supervised by Ludwik Tyrowicz. Between 1947 and 1993 he was a teacher at the same school, then a full professor and a dean of the Graphics Department as well as a deputy rector.

In 1957 he stated: The time which has passed since I graduated in 1951 until 1956, this artist considers lost. Then he started to created paintings in which one could find a dialogue with the ideas of the surrealists. He participated in the well known exhibition of “the eight” in 1956 and was associated with the “Fifth wheel” group and later with the “New Line” Group which was active at the Polish Writers’ Association in Łódź from 1959 (see the Artistic Journal New Line, April 1961). He was also associated with the “Krzywe Koło” Gallery in Warsaw.

Around 1960 there appear first abstract, but symbolic paintings which he continues to paint till today. It is his own, fully individual path, based on exceptional sensitivity, a versatile ability to analyse the artwork formally as well as an outstanding erudition. In 1961, together with Andrzej Łobodziński, Ireneusz Pierzgalski and Krystyn Zieliński he exhibited in the Krzysztofory gallery.

Stanisław Fijałkowski was a visiting professor at the University of Gissen, Mons and Marburg. He is a deputy chairmen of the International Wood engravers Association XYLON, and was a chairman of the Polish section of this Association as well as a deputy chairman of AIAP. He is a member of the European Academy of Science and Arts in Salzburg and the Belgian Royal Academy of Science, Literature and Fine Arts in Brussels.

He translated Point and Line to Plane by Vasily Kandinsky (Warszawa: PIW, 1986) and also Concerning the Spiritual In Art (Łódź: PGS, 1986). His translation of Kazimierz Malewicz’s Objectless world has never been published.

His works are in collections of National Museums of Warsaw, Krakow, Poznan, Wrocław, Gdańsk and Szczecin, at the Art Museum in Łódź, Kunstmuseum in Bochum, Tate Gallery in London, the Trietiakowska Gallery in Moscow, Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Albertina Museum and the Museum des XX Jahrhunderts in Vienna, Sammlung Würth in Künzelsau and other private collections in Poland and abroad.

Grzegorz Musiał


The materials come from the catalogue of the exhibition: 100% of ABSTRACTION – the Modern in Łódź 1955 – 1965, Łódź, March-April 2004, publishers: the 86 Gallery, Amcor Rentch. Curators: Janusz K. Głowacki, Grzegorz Musiał. Co-operation: Janina Ładnowska. Concept and editing: Janusz K. Głowacki, Grzegorz Musiał. Photos: Ryszard Olczak, Piotr Tomczyk.

Available on our website – courtesy of The 86 Gallery.