Edward Dwurnik, *PINK TULIP*, 2018

18.00 x 13.00 cm - acrylic on canvas
signed on the reverse: 2018 | E. DWURNIK,
on the reverse side of the canvas: 2018 | E. DWURNIK


Edward Dwurnik (Radzymin, April 19, 1943 – Warsaw, October 28, 2018) studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw (1963–1970), though he cites Nikifor as his “master.” It was Nikifor’s works, which he saw for the first time in 1965, that inspired the then-third-year student to create his first pieces from the series “Hitchhiking Journeys,” which he continued in the following years. From 1972 to 1978, he created the “Athletes” series, which portrayed—let’s add—bitingly—typical figures from the 1970s. At the same time, starting in 1975, he created the “Workers” series, which reached its peak during the “Solidarity” period of 1980–1981. For his works in this series, Dwurnik received the Cyprian Kamil Norwid Art Critics’ Award in 1981, while for the paintings from the “Warsaw” series (1981)—which prophetically foreshadowed martial law—he received the Cultural Award from the underground “Solidarity” movement in 1983. In the 1980s, Dwurnik’s painting took on an expressive and dramatic character. The paintings created during this decade often carried political significance and frequently adopted a historical setting, one that nonetheless addressed contemporary issues and realities. The series “The Road to the East” (1989–91) commemorated the victims of Stalinism, while the series “From December to June” (1990–94) honored the victims of martial law. Both the ideological and purely painterly merits of these works earned the artist immense recognition, both at home and abroad. This was reflected in the prestigious award from the Coutts & Co. Foundation in Zurich (1992). In the 1990s, he created series that continued the “Hitchhiking Journeys” theme: “Blue Cities” (from 1993) and “Diagonals” (from 1996), as well as new types of compositions, such as seascapes (the “Blue” series, 1992–93) and the “Counting Rhyme” series (1996–99). The artist exhibits frequently; he has had approximately 100 solo exhibitions in Poland and abroad, and has also participated in numerous national and international exhibitions and festivals, including: the 10th Biennale of Contemporary Art, Menton 1974, Documenta 7, Kassel 1982, the 5th Biennale, Sydney 1985, the 19th Art Biennale, São Paulo 1987; and the Art Olympics, Seoul 1988. In addition to painting, he practiced drawing, collage, printmaking (lithography, metal-based techniques, xerography, and stamps), and applied art (illustration and posters for his own solo exhibitions).