“Views from Poland” - exhibition in Strasbourg

“Views from Poland” is an exhibition that invites you to look at contemporary Poland through the prism of the poster – a medium with a longstanding tradition and an extraordinary power of expression. The works of talented Polish illustrators presented here show the diverse facets of Poland, its regions and cities. They show Poland as a modern country full of energy, colour, vivid emotions, and creative exploration.

Cities are central to these stories, not only as places full of everyday life’s hustle and bustle but also spaces with rich histories and singular atmospheres. The artists use a variety of ways to bring out the inconspicuous: distinctive architectural motifs, local colour, and the community spirit that permeates every street and alley.

Polish illustration has flourished in recent years, as evidenced by the strength and diversity of the graphic language presented in this exhibition. Each artist offers a unique perspective – combining local specificity with a universal message, placing cities at the centre of their artistic stories. In this way, “Views from Poland” transcends the boundaries of purely aesthetic presentation, clearly indicating how inspiring contemporary urban space can be.

This exhibition is a unique opportunity to take a fresh look at Poland – to see in these “views” both the pulsating energy of contemporary metropolises and the richness of diverse traditions that weave together to create a colourful, dynamic portrait of the country.

The exhibition is organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of the international cultural programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2025.

Ryszard Kaja (1962-2019)
He was a painter, set designer, graphic artist and poster designer who continued his family’s artistic traditions. Making his debut at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, he gained recognition as a stage designer for operas and ballets, winning multiple awards. In the 1990s and 2000s, he was one of the most accomplished Polish set designers, having worked on over 200 stages in Poland and abroad. His work for film and museums was also highly acclaimed. Later on, Kaja focused on poster design. His posters became world-renowned, and his “POLSKA” poster series became iconic. His work has been exhibited in numerous national and international exhibitions, and in 2021, his exhibition at the National Museum in Warsaw set audience records. The artist’s oeuvre, including drawings, paintings and photography, is still waiting to be made available to the public following his untimely death in 2019.

Adam Kosik (b. 1993)
Educated as a landscape architect, he works as a professional illustrator. Kosik has lived in Warsaw his whole life, and it so happens that he finds the most interesting subjects for his illustrations in the nooks and crannies of the Polish capital’s streets. He is most inspired by architecture and its contexts. Kosik has a particular weakness for postwar modernism but also for garish postmodernism. After hours, he rides his bicycle and takes pictures with an old camera.

Andy Łodziński (b. 1985)
The poster designer came to Poland from London to study at Warsaw’s Academy of Fine Arts. Łodziński’s travels across Poland inspired him to create a series of posters that take viewers on a sentimental journey through his favourite places. His style is characterised by expressive geometry, minimalism and bold colours. The artist combines a retro atmosphere and nostalgia with a modern and minimalist form, which, at the same time, is full of emotion and positive associations.

Kasia Jasińska (b. 1976)
Creator of the GRA-FIKA brand, Jasińska designs posters inspired by the aesthetics of mid-20th-century modernism, combining elegance and minimalism with the nostalgic charm of communist Poland’s architecture. Her original series, such as “Archeo” and “Wypoczynek” (Rest), document gems of Polish architecture and Poland’s famous resorts. These graphic designs based on vintage aesthetics continue gaining recognition at trade exhibitions and prestigious competitions. Jasińska works with fine paper, combining great design with craftsmanlike precision.

Konrad Kunc (b. 1993)
Kunc is an illustrator and graphic designer. Trained as an architect and art historian, his passion for depicting architecture spilt into his work, leading him to capture iconic buildings from Poland and around the globe. His architectural illustrations, evoking technical drawings, are relaxed by the introduction of vivid colours and softened by their retro convention. He loves illustrating understated, monumental modernist architecture and vibrant, colourful postmodernist buildings.

The Varsovianer
This initiative was created by illustrator Adam Kosik, who invited the best poster artists of his generation to collaborate and create the covers of the fictional magazine The Varsovianer – both an artistic tribute to Warsaw and the renowned cartoon covers of The New Yorker. Each cover is different: different styles, ideas and ambiences. The only common denominator is Warsaw; at times, the city is the main character; at others, it is the background to another visual story. Paulina Adamowska, Kasia Kostecka, Natalya Shilo and Ola Szpunar are the authors of the posters presented here.

Ola Szpunar (b. 1985)
A designer by training, she had always dreamed of becoming an illustrator. Now, in her studio, she draws illustrations for children’s books for Polish and international publishers, does illustrations for the press and designs patterns for textiles. Szpunar is inspired by nature, flora, fauna (especially her dog, Irys), and her travels. In her free time, she creates and paints ceramics by hand as part of her “Clai” project.

Kasia Kostecka (b. 1992)
Kostecka is an illustrator, historian, and a lover of walking. She has created illustrations for Polish weeklies such as Polityka, Pismo and Newsweek Psychology. Kostecka works in ink, watercolours, crayons and whatever else she can find. For her, drawing is a form of storytelling – about what she loves and hates and everything in between.

Paulina Adamowska (b. 1994)
Adamowska is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź. She focuses mainly on illustration and uses it in various other fields of art. Her work is based on simple, geometric shapes and colour contrasts. Adamowska has won numerous competitions and has participated in multiple art fairs and exhibitions.

Natalie Shilo (b. 1994)
Shilo studied graphic design at the Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, Belarus. Immediately after, she taught composition and artistic photography there for two years. Currently, she lives in Warsaw. She is an illustrator who works in the fashion industry, creating graphics for a Polish clothing brand. She dreams of designing murals. Shilo particularly enjoys drawing people, nature and space. In addition to illustration, she is interested in animation and weaving.

Julia Hanke (b. 1991)
Hanke studied landscape architecture and is currently working as an illustrator. She creates illustrations for animation, websites, publishing projects and visual identities. Her illustrations are simple in form, shifting between abstraction and realism with a light dose of humour. In her free time, she creates paintings using tufting and loop embroidery techniques.

Selection of works: Ajka Mroczkowska

Production and exhibition design: FERWOR - Aleksandra Gryc, Paweł Paciorek

Graphic design: Magdalena Heliasz