Piotr Korzeniowski
Born in Krakow in 1970. Studied at the Faculty of Painting of the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow in the studio of Associate Professor Zbigniew Grzybowski, graduating with distinction in 1997. In 1993 made an artistic journey to Siberia (Lake Baikal). In 1995 / 96 a scholarship and studies at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Nürnberg in the painting, printmaking and object studio under the direction of Prof. Rolf Günter Dienst’s supervision. In 1996 made an artistic journey to Egypt (across Turkey, Syria, Jordan, the Sinai Peninsula). In the years 1996 - 2001 assistant in the Painting Department at Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków in painting studio of Prof. Sławomir Karpowicz. Between 2001 - 2010 assistant and then a senior assistant in the painting studio of Prof. Adam Wsiołkowski. 2005 earned a Phd in Painting at the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts. 2012 received a post-doc degree in the Visual Arts at the Painting Faculty of the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts. 2012 – 2016 Dean of Faculty of Painting in Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. Currently works as a university professor and runs his own drawing studio at the Faculty of Painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. He also runs portrait photography activities at the Krakow School of Creative Photography. Together with Jakub Najbart, founder and board member of the Transporter Kultury Foundation (since 2011). Curator and co-organizer of numerous Polish-German artistic projects implemented by the Transporter Kultury Foundation. In 2024, as part of his sabbatical, he carried out an artistic project in Mexico, culminating in a solo exhibition at the Cozumel Island Museum. Lives and works in Krakow. Visual artist. Is involved in painting, drawing, photography also creates spatial objects, and is also active in the field of natural art. He has held 23 individual exhibitions. Participated in more than 200 group exhibitions in Poland and abroad.
Awards, distinctions and honorable mentions:
Grant from the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in connection with participation in the cross-sectional 2023 collective exhibition POLAND IN FOCUS in Slovenia 2023 / Distinction by certificate of artistic achievement in recognition of high artistic quality granted by museum's selection committee the Pinacothèque in conjunction with the international competition of the Luxembourg Art Prize 2022 / 1st degree award of the Rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow for lifetime achievement 2021 / Silver Cross of Merit 2017 / Medal of the National Education Committee 2017 / First prize Rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow 2016 / Finalist first international painting competition “Perfectionists” (Poland) 2013 / Prize of the Rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow for the doctoral dissertation 2006 / Scholarship (Grant) of The Pollock – Krasner Foundation (New York) 2002 / Scholarship of Polish Minister of Culture and Art 1999 / Distinction at Eugeniusz Gepert National Young People’s Painting Exhibition, Wrocław 1999 / Distinction at Nationwide Young People’s Painting Review, Legnica 1998 / City of Kraków Scholarship 1997 / Lyons Club Prize at “Kraków & Nürnberg” exhibition, Nürnberg 1997
Works in collections:
Historic Museum of the Town of Cracow (Poland) / Museum of History of the Photograph in Cracow (Poland) / Tobacco concern “Prince” in Warsaw (Poland) / Budimex Warsaw (Poland) / Museum of the Academy of Fine arts in Cracow (Poland) / Parliament of Northern Westfalen in Düsseldorf (Germany) / Landschaftsverband Rheinland in Köln (Germany) / ABC Gallery in Poznań (Poland) / Zushan Present Art Museum, Funing, Qunhuangdao, Hebei (China) / Imago Mundi, Luciano Benetton Collection, Treviso (Italy) / KÚPULA ART MÉXICO, Mexico City (Mexico) / ART CIRCLE Collection, Goriška Brda, Slovenia / HAN District Municipality, Turkey / Chateau Kalpak, Sarköy, Tekirdag, Turkey / Cozumel Island Museum, Cozumel Island, Mexico / Dalaman Municipality, Turkey / Geumgang Nature Art Biennale Collection, Republic of Korea /
(…) Perhaps the most fundamental feature of Piotr Korzeniowski’s art is its multifaceted courage, courage-tranquillity, which allow the suspension of habits, cognition, recognition, and genuine creativity, thanks to which I could write: “Those who look at a painting are faced with the entire world”. Not only is this courage necessary to notice reality and to embark on a pursuit, but also to withstand the world’s reaction to one’s own art. Everyone who does such things knows good and well that they are in for anger, criticism, outrage or – the toughest thing of all – silence, a lack of reaction and being ignored. This is a painful and destructive kind of weapon. “Courageous art” is no cliché, although it could be one. Not infrequently can we read critics who write about “bold, courageous works that break free of established patterns”. However, the “breaking free of established patterns” they praise is most often a use of opposite patterns, and the term “courage” itself is also used in the recognition mode. In this case we deal with a different situation; it is not a cliché but the truth and this courage is contained in the works themselves.
The gate is open and behind it we see a world of vast landscapes: steppes, deserts, wavy lines interrupted by multi-layered ornaments, sharp and fresh on some occasions and at other times eroding into oblong, smooth and touch-enticing forms that reveal a hidden structure of seemingly monotonous white surfaces. We can identify here single images that unexpectedly change their shapes and autonomous elements being rearranged in ever new mosaics. There are mists, screens and groups of columns that both hide behind one another and emerge to reveal their individual character. This world is the hunting ground, a territory where the hunter tries to capture the most elusive target: space. (...)
Excerpt from Kajetan Młynarski's critical text
from the publication "Piotr Korzeniowski" published in 2017
