Marcin KołpanowiczMarcin Kołpanowicz, born on 19 November 1963 in Krakow, Poland, grew up in an artistic environment. His mother is a painter, currently living in Ethiopia, where she creates contemporary sacred paintings inspired by Coptic icons. His father, Andrzej Kołpanowicz, was also a painter, one of the forerunners of the Polish school of fantasy realism, and Marcin's first and most important teacher and master. Under his tutelage, the future artist has learned painting from an early age and has perfected his creative technique.
In 1982, Marcin Kołpanowicz began his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, but by then had already been a formed artist, consciously choosing the exploration of imagination as the main inspiration for his work. In 1987, he received his diploma in painting. The artist practices metaphorical oil and pastel painting, in which he combines unfettered imagination, poetic metaphor and a paradoxical sense of humor.
Since then, he has held more than 30 solo exhibitions in Poland, Germany, France and Austria, and has participated in many group exhibitions, including the most important international fantasy realism exhibitions and the 2017 Paris Salon. His works adorn many collections in Poland, as well as in Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, France and the USA.
Kołpanowicz's paintings "starred" in the TV series "Siedlisko", directed by Janusz Majewski, and appeared on the covers of books (including Waldemar Łysiak's "Kielich" and Arkadiusz Pacholski's "Brulion paryski") and numerous volumes of poetry. Kołpanowicz's works have also been included in middle and secondary school textbooks, used for secondary school final exam questions in 2018, and published on posters for the University of California at Berkeley. Marcin Kołpanowicz has also designed a number of posters, including those for Chopin concerts in Antonin, jazz concerts in Kalisz and the Star Jazz Festival 2018 in Hamburg.
The artist realized the Stations of the Cross in St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in Tenczynek near Krakow, the beatification painting of Sister Marta Wiecka in Sniatyn (Ukraine), and the altar painting and fresco in the St. John Paul II "Do not be afraid" Center in Krakow-Łagiewniki.
In 2000, he received an award at the Pastels Biennale in Nowy Sącz, in 2003 - the Audience Award at the Biennale of Illustration in Bratislava. In 2019, he received the Decoration of Honor Meritorious for Polish Culture, in 2020 - the Order of St. Stanislaus and Medal of the Year of St. John Paul. In addition to painting, Marcin Kołpanowicz is engaged in literary and journalist activities: since 2012, he has been writing columns and reviews for the quarterly "Artysta i Sztuka" and travel texts for the monthly "Poznaj Świat". He also published reviews and texts on art in the quarterly "Bliza". In 2016, he published the album "Marcin Kołpanowicz - Malarstwo/Painting" with an introduction by Grzegorz Górny and the book "Ziemia Św. Charbele" (AA publishing house).