the Polish Institute in Budapest and the Silesian Museum, we cordially invite you and your dear family to Personal Stories. Graphics by Jan Nowak from the collection of the Silesian Museum in Katowice
for the opening of the exhibition, which will take place with the participation of the Artist on December 16, 2021 (Thursday), at 6 p.m. in the Platán Gallery.
For Jan Nowak, working as a miner was such a mental burden that he turned to art to alleviate its difficulties. Today, he has become one of the most respected representatives of contemporary Polish naive art. On December 16, at the opening of the exhibition, the Hungarian public can meet him personally.
Joanna Urbańska, director of the Polish Institute, gives her welcome.
The exhibition will be opened by Sonia Wilk, curator of the exhibition, head of the Naive Art Collection of the Silesian Museum in Katowice.
Date: December 16, 2021 (Thursday), 6 p.m
Location: Platán Gallery – 1061 Budapest, Andrássy út 32.
Source: Polish Institute
JAN NOWAK was born in 1939 in Katowice. Like most Silesian men, he was professionally associated with mining for many years, even though he wanted to be a forester since childhood. Working as a miner was such a mental burden for the sensitive man that, as soon as he had the opportunity to open his own locksmith shop, he did not wait until the so-called miner's retirement, which was only three years away, but instead crossed the mine gate for the last time with relief.
To alleviate the difficulties of work, he turned to art. He joined the fine arts circle reserved for working young people, where he enrolled in the graphic arts workshop of the great artist Stefan Suberlak. There he learned the technique of linocut.
Art critics noticed Jan Nowak already in the 1960s. Articles about his linocuts began to appear in the press, and he began to win prizes and awards. In 1986, in recognition of his artistic work, he received a license from the Minister of Culture and Arts to practice the profession of visual artist. Museums enthusiastically increased their collections with his works and organized exhibitions for him. In 2004, he presented his works at the INSITA exhibition in Bratislava, and his linocuts were also shown at the summer exhibition of the Royal Academy of Art in London between 2011-2013. In 2018, he was awarded the silver medal "Gloria Artis Order of Merit for Culture", which is considered the highest Polish state recognition.
At the opening of its new headquarters, the Silesian Museum paid tribute to the artist with a retrospective exhibition.
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