Apr. 9 – All the World’s TreasuresExhibition Opening
Ryszard K aja
Currently living in Wrocław and Warnowo, Ryszard Kaja, (b. 1962, Poznan) is one of Poland’s most beloved and prolific contemporary artists; poster art, painter, graphic art designer, stage designer for ballet, opera, television and film sets, interior designer and much more, in Poland and abroad.
After graduating from the art department of Wyzszej Szkoly Sztuk Plastycznych in Poznan, his debut was as the stage designer for Teatr Wielki in Lodz (Verdi’s Ernani, and received the first of many awards, the”Golden Mask” prize). He has worked in most opera houses in Poland, and several abroad (France, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Israel and Egypt, etc.)
Ryszard Kaja also has designed book illustrations, theater programs, directories; above all, his main passion apart from the theatre is poster art. In this area he continues the family tradition. Ryszard’s father Zbigniew Kaja is considered a foremost example of the Polish School of Poster Art and his mother Stefania Kaja was a ceramiczką and painter. Ryszard describes his poster art as a reflection of his personal world view, and eschews the current trends in graphic design by computer and photoshop, explaining that these processes are killing creative poster art. He uses mixed techniques (ink, pen, pencil, gouache, coffee grounds, tea, ash – everything around him) into his poster creations. He states that he does not try to be “international” or “trendy” but merely express his “Polish” world, making his art exceptional and unique.
