NEWS

Edward Dwurnik is one of the most famous and recognizable Polish visual artists.

He was born on 19 April 1943 in Radzymin near Warsaw. In 1963–1970, he studied painting, graphics, and sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, where he graduated from the painting studio of Professor Eugeniusz Eibisch. In 1965, influenced by the exhibition of the naïve painter Nikifor Krynicki, he assumed a similar style in painting, which he later modified and developed. He created over 8000 pieces in an extensive painting series. Beginning in 1966, his oldest and most recognizable series depicted "Hitchhiking," offering bird’s-eye views of cityscapes. Notable series include one offering a caricatural image of Poles in the communist era ("Sportmen") and another portraying Poland's struggle against communism in the 1980s ("Workers"). In the 1990s, he explored themes in various series, including "Blue Cities" and "Diagonals," as well as entirely new ones like "Blue," "Long Live the War!," and "Counting." In the mid-2000s, Dwurnik delved into an abstract series, continuing along other themes until the end of his life.

 

During his lifetime, Dwurnik participated in many prestigious exhibitions of contemporary art, including documenta 7 in Kassel in 1982, the Biennale of Sydney in 1984, and Biennale de Paris in 1985. His works can be found in many institutional collections, including the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden in Dresden, the Schaulager in Basel, the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, the National Museum in Warsaw, the National Museum in Krakow, the National Museum in Poznań, and many others.

 

Edward Dwurnik died on 28 October 2018 at his home in Warsaw.

 

SELECTED AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

1983 The "Solidarnosc" Cultural Prize

1984 Atelierhaus Worpswede, DAAD scholarship

1988 Kunstlerhaus Edenkoben, art residence

1992 Coutts Contemporary Art Award, Zurich

 

WORKS IN COLLECTIONS

Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, NLD

Museum Ludwig in Cologne, GE

Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, GE

Schaulager in Basel, CH

 

Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw, PL

National Museum in Warsaw, PL

National Museum in Krakow, PL

National Museum in Poznań, PL

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2022

- Pines, Raster Gallery, Warsaw

 

2021

- Znaki Czasu Center for Contemporary Art, Torun - Edward Dwurnik. Poland

- Muzeum Sztuki in Lodz - The pageant. Edward Dwurnik and the phantoms of history

 

2020

- Museum of Katowice, Katowice - Dwurnik Totalnie

 

2019

- Raster Gallery, Warsaw - Zbiórka na placu

 

2018

- Regional Museum in Sandomierz, Sandomierz - 75×75 Dwurnik, retrospective exhibition

- Państwowa Galeria Sztuki, Sopot - 75×75 Dwurnik, retrospective exhibition

 

2013

- The National Museum, Krakow - Madness

 

2003

- Raster Gallery, Warsaw - Do końca 1973

 

2001

- Łaźnia Centre of Contemporary Art, Gdańsk - Edward Dwurnik. Moje grzechy

- Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw - Edward Dwurnik. Malarstwo. Próba retrospektywy, retrospective exhibition

 

1998

- Villa Haiss Museum für Zeitgenossische Kunst, Zell am Harmersbach - Edward Dwurnik

 

1997

- Górnośląskie Musuem in Bytom - Od Grudnia do Czerwca

- Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum in Bydgoszcz - Od Grudnia do Czerwca

 

1994

- Wüttembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart - Edward Dwurnik. Retrospektive

- Kunstverein Würzburg, Gemäldegalerie des Martin von Wagner-Museum, Würzburg - Edward Dwurnik. Ölbilder

 

1993

- Muzeum Górnośląskie, Bytom - Edward Dwurnik. Blue

 

1992

- Arnolfini, Bristol - Edward Dwurnik. From December to June — Paintings 1990

 

1990

- Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw - Edward Dwurnik. „Droga na Wschód”

 

1989

- IfA Galerie, Bonn - Edward Dwurnik — Polen. Bilder und Zeichnungen

 

1987

- The National Museum, Wrocław - Nasza Galeria. Edward Dwurnik

 

1986

- Kunstverein, Lingen - Edward Dwurnik. Zeichnungen

 

1985

- Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven - Edward Dwurnik. Schilderijen, tekeningen en beelden

 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2015

- Future Present, Schaulager, Basel

 

2004

- De ma fenetre. Des artistes et leurs territories, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris

 

1994

- Der Riss im Rau. Positionen der Kunst seit 1945 in Deutschland, Polen, der Slowakei und Tschechien, Guardini Stiftung Berlin, Verlag der Kunst, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin

 

1992

- Standpunkte Der Modernę, Deichtorhallen, Nordhalle, Hamburg

 

1991

 -Zone D — Inneraum, eine Ausstellung im Untergrundmessehaus der Stadt Leipzig

- Emanuel Hoffmann-Stiftung 1980-1990, Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Basel

- Positionen Polen, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin

 

1988

- Farbę bekennen. Zeitgenössische Kunst aus Basler Privatbesitz. Herausgegeben von Jörg Zutter, Museum für Gegenwartkunst, Basel

- Olympiade des art/Olympiad of Art, Seoul Olympic Organizing Committe, Seul

 

1987

- XIX Bienal Internacional de Arte Sao Paulo 1987. Polonia, Sao Paulo

- Expressiv. Mitteleuropäische Kunst seit 1960/Central European Art sińce 1960, Museum moderner Kunst/Museum des 20. Jahrhunderts, Vienna; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington D.C.

 

1986

- Europa/Amerika. Die Geschichte einer künstlerischen Faszination seit 1940, Museum Ludwig, Cologne

- Painting and Sculpture Today. A Biennial exhibition of contemporary art from Chicago and New York galeries, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis

- Ooghoote/Eye level. Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum 1936-1986, Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven

 

1985

- Nouvelle Biennale de Paris. Electa Moniteur, Paris

 

1984

- The Fifth Biennale of Sydney. Private Symbol: Social Metaphor, Sydney

 

1982

- documenta 7, Kassel

 

1981

- Fifth Triennale India, New Delhi

 

1979

- I Biennale Der Europäischen Grafik, Heidelberg

 

1977

- Polnische Kunst Heute. 20 Jahresausstellung Der Neuen Darmstadter Sezession, Ausstellungshallen Mathildenhohe, Darmstadt

 

1974

- Art Contemporain Polonais. Peinture et Gravure 1974, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lyon

- Nowa generacja, Muzeum Narodowe, Wrocław

- Dixieme Biennale International d’Art de Menton, Palais de l’Europe, Mentona