Slawomir Witkowski

Sławomir Witkowski formulates his artistic philosophy with a touch of irony: to leave yesterday behind, seek fresh impulses in the present, and question even the most revered "truths" established by authorities—though, as he adds, without resorting to burning museums.

Between 1981 and 1986, he studied at the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Gdańsk, today known as the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. In 1986, he completed his diploma under the supervision of Professor Cyprian Kościelniak. Witkowski became one of the key figures associated with the influential Polish movement of the 1980s known as New Expression. His works were included in landmark exhibitions such as Expression of the 1980s, Arsenal 88, and What’s Up.

During that decade, he played a notable role in expanding the visual language of Polish exhibitions by introducing color prints, challenging the long-standing dominance of black-and-white graphic traditions. From 1986 onward, he also developed a parallel career in commercial graphic design. Between 1988 and 1998, he collaborated with prominent театраль institutions such as the Wybrzeże Theatre, Miniatura Theatre, the Miejski Theatre in Gdynia, and Theatre of Expression, creating posters, stage designs, and promotional materials.

Witkowski’s artistic practice spans multiple disciplines, including painting, printmaking, drawing, photography, and applied graphics. His work has been featured in over one hundred group exhibitions both in Poland and internationally, alongside more than thirty-five solo shows. Since 1990, he has also been active in academia, and in 2016 he assumed the position of Dean of the Faculty of Graphic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk