Tadeusz Was Art

Tadeusz was born in Zerkow, Poland, in the southeast. His father worked as a teacher at the local school, and his extended family farmed.

He moved to Krakow at the age of twenty-two to study at the Polish Institute of Fine Art. He graduated in 1939 with a degree in stained glass and mural art. He should have planned on pursuing a career in the arts.

But, when World War II loomed, he enlisted in the Polish Army. The Germans attacked in September. The Polish Army was pushed out of Poland and into Hungary, and Tadeusz accompanied them. He had no idea that he would never come home.

When the war ended, Tadeusz was in Rome. Now that he had the freedom to create, he received the Silver Medal at the 1946 International Festival of Art with one of his paintings. Although he was free, his country was not. Europe was split between East and West, and he, like many other soldiers in his position, chose exile over returning to Poland and living under Communism.

As a result, Tadeusz arrived in the United Kingdom, ultimately settling in a displaced people camp in Doddington, Cheshire. Because this was an ancient army base, he had to live in a barrack once again. The camp was a little Poland, with its store, church, movie, and school.

When the Resettlement Officer learned that Tadeusz was an artist, he got him to work as a painter and decorator at the camp. He married Aniela, another refugee. He also passed on his passion for painting to others for many years. He also taught painting at night class, overcoming his poor English with a passion that went beyond the spoken word.

Later in life, he became completely absorbed in painting, honing his extremely unique figurative abstract expressionist technique. His photographs are textured and seemingly carved in a thick emulsion. They’re then given an oil finish to give them the appearance of baked enamel. Tadeusz utilized bright colors and outlined his images in black outline, creating a stained-glass appearance.

He’d completed the circle, imitating the art style he’d learned in Krakow.
He worked instinctively, often painting and repainting a single piece, sometimes while it was still on display. His thinking was straightforward. “Never push what you’re doing; instead, remain hungry and enjoy what you’re doing.”

Tadeusz’s paintings are distinctive in that they have transparency that allows us to see the layers of patterns he created, resulting in art that is rich, bright, textured, and fascinating. Tadeusz’s art is lively, interesting, and alive because of his technical skill combined with his enthusiasm.