Jan Sawka

In 1946, Sawka was born to an architect father and linguist mother, Jan and Maria Sawka, in the Silesian city of Zabrze. His father was imprisoned by the government of Communist Poland shortly after his birth. His mother was not allowed to pursue her career, but worked privately as a tutor.[1]

Sawka completed two master's degrees: in painting and print-making from the Wrocław Fine Arts Academy and in Architectural Engineering from the Institute of Technology in Wrocław. By his late 20s, Sawka was a star of the famed Polish Poster School and a leading artist of the counter-culture. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, he became known in Poland for the posters and stage sets that he designed for avant-garde theater groups. He largely was able to avoid trouble with censors until his work begin to be noticed by foreign art critics, who commented on the hidden anti-authoritarian elements in his art.[1] His oppositionist activities led to his exile from Poland in 1976.[2] When he immigrated to New York in 1977, he had no money and he was unheard of in the United States.[3]

Sawka's art was widely praised by the dissidents against Communist Poland.[1] In 1981, when martial law was imposed in Poland, the AFL-CIO sponsored a bipartisan fundraiser that sold Sawka's Solidarity poster in the millions to provide immediate support to the besieged Solidarity movement.

After 1977, he resided in New York, becoming part of the American cultural mainstream. Early in his time in the United States, Sawka created editorial drawings for the New York Times, while developing a multi-faceted career that encompassed printmaking, painting, sculpture, and theater design. Numerous galleries have exhibited his paintings and prints, and he designed for such theaters as the Harold Clurman, Jean Cocteau Repertory and Samuel Beckett Theater.[2]

His awards have included the 1975 Oscar de la Peinture in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France for painting and the Gold Medal at the 1978 Warsaw Poster Biennial.

In 1985, Sawka opened a series of one-man art exhibitions in New York City. The size and scope were unusual for an artist, and the success he had achieved in the eight years since his arrival from Poland was also unusual.[3]

In 1989, Sawka designed a 10-story tall set for The Grateful Dead's 25th Anniversary tour. He continued to work with the band for the remainder of his life, including "The Voyage", a collaboration with drummer Mickey Hart.[2]

In 1993, he created his first full multi-media spectacle, "The Eyes" in Japan. This was the beginning of his collaboration with Japanese studios and corporations, which includes the creation of high-tech interactive sculptures and monumental installations, as well as designs for full-scale monumental architecture. Sawka designed "The Tower of Light Cultural Complex" for Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., presented to the Royal Family in 1996. A pilot version of "The Voyage", a full-length multimedia spectacle, won the Gold Medal in Multi-Media at the 2003 Florence Contemporary Art Biennial. He is represented ACA Galleries in New York's Chelsea arts district.

On August 9, 2012, Sawka died of a heart attack in his home in High Falls, New York. He was 65. At the time of his death, Sawka's works were in over 60 museums around the world and he has had over 70 solo shows at international museums and galleries. He was focused on completing the feature-length, final version of "Voyage" when he died.[2]

Sawka was married to his wife Hanka Sawka, with who he had a daughter and two grandchildren.[2] Those who worked with him described him as full of energy and imagination, and that his personality inspired others to produce art.[3]

As an artist, Sawka insisted on controlling his artistic vision and refused to work with art dealers who wanted him to work in a particular style.[3] His work was unusually diverse and didn't neatly fit within any genres or trends. Sawka himself had no idea what his style should be called.[1]

His work has been described as an alternative to Neo-Expressionists such as Julian Schnabel.[3]

• "Jan Sawka Makes An Elegiac Impression In Print" by Charles Solomon, Los Angeles Times, December 1, 1986

• Jan Sawka