Kiejstut Bereźnicki

Kiejstut Bereźnicki (b. 1935)
A master of classical form, melancholy, and metaphor. One of the last poets of figurative painting in Poland.

A Neotraditionalist Within the Realm of New Figuration

• Bereźnicki was a student of the legendary Stanisław Teisseyre at the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. As early as the 1960s, he revealed himself as an artist with an exceptionally mature, narrative imagination.

• Closely tied to Gdańsk for most of his life, he served as a professor and long-time rector of the Academy of Fine Arts. Hundreds of students passed through his studio, though few matched his expressive mastery.

Though he avoided the media spotlight, he had a profound influence on shaping the Polish school of figurative painting and, alongside Jerzy Nowosielski, stands as one of the leading representatives of neofiguration.

What Technique Does He Use? What Does He Focus On?

• Classical technique – oil on canvas, drawing. He paints with deep respect for craftsmanship.

• His work engages in a dialogue with 17th-century masters, yet in terms of iconography and composition, he developed a unique and recognizable poetic visual language – his own way of recording the world.

• Themes? Still lifes, portraits, women, children, Passion scenes, biblical motifs. Never literal. These are psychological paintings, rich in symbolism, contemplation, and silence.

What Did He Hide? What Were His Secrets?

• Bereźnicki often painted himself—not as a traditional self-portrait, but as a symbolic figure. He also painted his friends and often found inspiration in family photographs.

• He believes that art should be intimate and indirect, and chooses painterly silence.

Why Is He Relevant Today? What Can Art Lovers Learn from Him?

• Bereźnicki teaches humility toward the image. His art shows that you don’t need to shock to move someone. In the age of social media, his painting reminds us of the importance of slow, profound observation.

• For collectors, he is a gem of the Polish figurative school—his works appear increasingly at auctions, and their value is rising as the art world shifts from conceptual trends back toward classical forms.

• He is an artist whose work is like poetry: not to be consumed all at once, but in silence, piece by piece, with reverence.

Additional Insights
The artist uses a precise painting technique, clearly defining the objects and figures he depicts and flawlessly determining their spatial relationships.

“Just like with Nowosielski, Bereźnicki also created his own language for recording the world, and even if he wanted to, he likely couldn’t change it. It is like handwriting—tied to one’s personality—and as we know, a graphologist can read an individual’s traits from it.”
—Bożena Kowalska, Six Reflective Encounters with the Paintings of Kiejstut Bereźnicki

Joanna Piotrowska - Art Advisor & Marszand