The exhibition Masters of Polish Illustration is currently on display at the Picture Book Library in Suncheon, South Korea. It is the largest foreign presentation of Polish children’s book illustration. The project is co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.

The Polish school of children’s illustration is a subject that captures the hearts not only of book worms. A plethora of pictures have been and are still being created by renowned artists (individually or with whole teams of graphic designers). The result of these works are illustrations that have become engraved in the memory of many generations.

For most Poles, the Snow Queen from Andersen’s fairy tales has the face given to her by Jan Marcin Szancer, and Uszatek the bear created by Czesław Janczarski is associated with the art of Zbigniew Rychlicki. Thus, beloved childhood readings illustrated by Polish specialists were and still are an opportunity to enter not only the world of literature, but also of excellent art.

The exhibition “Masters of Polish Illustration” features works by the most important Polish artists of the last century. It includes wonderful illustrations by avant-garde artists of the 1920s: Stefan and Franciszka Themmerson and Jan Marcin Szancer. There are also works by the creators of the Polish school of illustration – including Józef Wilkoń, Janusz Grabiański and Bożena Truchanowska. The Suncheon show also features postmodern picture books by Marianna Oklejak, Iwona Chmielewska and other contemporary artists.

The exhibition, curated by Jiwone Lee, a Polish scholar and art historian, is organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the Suncheon Picture Book Library in Korea. The project’s partners are the Zamość Art Exhibition Office and the Polish Embassy in Seoul. The exhibition is part of a multidisciplinary cultural programme co-organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński