Tomasz Jaśkiewicz

Tomasz Jaśkiewicz (1932, Burzenin - 1991, Łódź) was a painter, creator of reliefs and teacher, associated all his life with the Łódź avant-garde milieu. In 1950-1956 he studied at the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Łódź (today the Władysław Strzemiński Academy of Fine Arts), and after his diploma (1957) he became an assistant in the studio of Lech Kunka; he remained associated with his alma mater as a teacher until his death, reaching the title of professor (1990) and serving as vice-rector.

Abstract, monochrome paintings come from the early stage of his work. From the beginning he took an active part in artistic life - including in „Confrontations 63” at the Krzywe Koło Gallery in Warsaw - creating reliefs of embossed wood and abstract-geometric structures. In 1967, during the 3rd „Złote Grono” Symposium („Space and Expression”), together with other Łódź artists he showed a joint installation touching on the problem of „real and metaphysical” space, received with enthusiasm. In 1971 he took part in the important exhibition „The Light of Geometry” at the Museum of Art in Łódź.

The 1970s were a continuation of the relief cycle and a development of the problem of „active absence”, and from the beginning of the 1980s - abstract paintings based on simple geometric forms, working through subtle juxtapositions of colour. Jaśkiewicz presented his works at many exhibitions in Poland and abroad (including in Copenhagen, West Berlin, Düsseldorf, London and Bonn); they are in the collections of the Museum of Art in Łódź, the National Museum in Szczecin and the Studio Gallery in Warsaw. Consistent and restrained, he is one of the important continuators of the Łódź Constructivist tradition.