Henryk Stażewski

About me
Services

Art valuation

Professional market valuation

Museum / exhibition cooperation

Exhibitions and curatorship

Private sales

Discreet transactions

Investment advisory

Art as an investment

Art collection management

Collection care

Custom purchases

Art for clients

Art sales / purchase

Art trading

Auction representation

Purchases and auctions

Design

Art in interiors - hotels, residences, facilities

Art promoter

Artworks for spaces

Research

Authenticity verification

Art rental

Art leasing
Artists

Andy Warhol

USA

Vincent van Gogh

Netherlands

Rembrandt van Rijn

Netherlands

Wojciech Fangor

Poland

Pablo Picasso

Spain

Paul Cézanne

France

See all
Contact

My Account

0 My Account

Expert portrait of the artist
Biography
Awards
Art works

Henryk Stażewski (1894–1988)
Father of Polish abstraction. He combined geometry with freedom.

Style: One of the first constructivists in Poland. Used simple forms—squares, lines, stripes—creating pure, intellectual art full of energy.
Life: During the communist era (PRL), he remained faithful to the avant-garde despite ideological pressures. Mentored young artists in the 1960s and 1970s.
Curiosity: Lived in the famous M3 apartment at the House of the Plastic Artist in Warsaw — this flat became an informal gallery where the independent art scene gathered.
For today’s creators: Stażewski teaches that even the most minimalist form can express the spirit of freedom and resistance against banality.

Biography

Henryk Stażewski was a prominent Polish painter associated with avant-garde movements and a key representative of constructivism. Throughout his artistic career, he devoted himself to geometric abstraction. He studied at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts and was involved with several avant-garde groups including Polish Expressionists, Formists, Blok, Praesens, and the 'a.r.' group. Stażewski contributed significantly to the development of Polish constructive and abstract art and was active internationally through exhibitions and artistic exchanges.

Early Life and Education

Born in Warsaw, Stażewski studied at the Warsaw School of Fine Arts (1913–1919) under Stanisław Lentz. He became affiliated with early Polish avant-garde movements such as the Polish Expressionists and later Formists.

Artistic Groups and Avant-garde Involvement

Stażewski was a founding member of the groups Blok, Praesens and a.r., which were instrumental in promoting Cubism, Constructivism, and Suprematism in Poland. He contributed to avant-garde magazines 'Blok' and 'Praesens' that maintained international contacts with groups such as Dutch De Stijl.

Art Style and Influence

His works primarily focus on geometric forms and abstraction, showing influence from artists like Piet Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg. These are reflected in his paintings and contribution to the Polish constructivist movement.

Later Career and Legacy

From the 1960s, Stażewski participated in spatial form biennials and collaborated with other notable artists like Edward Krasiński and Tadeusz Kantor. He co-founded the Foksal Gallery in Warsaw. His works are in major Polish museums including the Museum of Upper Silesia in Bytom, the Zachęta National Gallery of Art, and the Museum of Art in Łódź.

Nationality

Polish

Themes

Constructivism, Geometric Abstraction, Avant-garde Art

Major Awards

1955
Gold Cross of Merit (Poland)

Awarded for significant contributions in the field of culture and arts.
1955
Medal for the 10th Anniversary of the People's Republic of Poland

Awarded on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Polish People's Republic for cultural merit.
1987
Meritorious for National Culture Badge

An honorary badge recognizing significant achievement in national culture.