Known for his dark visions and dystopian landscapes, translated onto the canvas, the iconic Polish artist, Zdzisław Beksiński, did not limit his exploration of the oniric to painting or sculpture. The artist has produced a significant body of work in photography, often omitted in the contemporary studies of his artistic production.
From April 13th, 2025, a retrospective exhibition of Zdzisław Beksiński can be seen in the Four Domes Pavilion – Museum of Contemporary Art, a branch of the National Museum in Wrocław. Frames never exhibited before will be included in the collection of nearly 200 photographs. Among them, the visitor will be confronted with the surreal portrait – for Beksinski, a space to show both the “physical” face and the inner world of emotions and the psyche. The notion of the portrait extends to encompass the exhibition and its narrative, evolving into the portrayal of Beksiński as an artist. “Everyone has their own Beksiński”, reads the inscription at the entrance. The works of Jerzy Lewczyński, Bronisław Schlabs, and Norman Leto also feature alongside Beksiński’s collection. The Phenomenal Zdzisław Beksiński exhibition invites the audience to step into Beksiński’s experimental world of photography and participate in his search for answers in a world of chaos and absurdity.
The curator of the exhibition, Aleksandra Szwedo, talks to Contemporary Lynx’s Kuba Żary about the complex image of the artist through film.
Kuba Żary: Zdzisław Beksiński is undoubtedly one of the most recognisable names in Polish art in Poland and abroad. And yet, his photographic work is little known to the public. Even in texts devoted to him, it is mentioned briefly, and only in relation to his paintings, sculptures or digital art. So let’s start by placing the photographs in Beksiński’s body of work – what place do they occupy?
Aleksandra Szwedo: Zdzisław Beksiński’s adventure with photography was relatively short, but extremely intense. His interest in this medium began in the 1940s, when his father gave him a camera. His first works were a cautious exploration of the possibilities offered by this tool. As a result, they are quite conservative and refer to the style of pictorialism, i.e. photography that aimed to formally resemble painting. Among these early photos are romantic landscapes of forests, parks, fields, and hundreds of subtle, intimate images of his wife Zofia, who became his main model. These first photographs belong mainly to the private sphere.
Over time, Beksiński began to undertake more daring experiments. In his later work, a new quality in the representation of his hometown, Sanok, is noticeable – the artist began to frame reality in a specific way. He did not want to document everyday life, but to create and give it a new, subjective character. Over time, these experiments became increasingly daring, including portraits, surreal compositions and abstraction. These activities culminated in a series of photographic sets presented at the Pokaz zamknięty exhibition in 1959, after which Zdzisław Beksiński finally parted ways with photography, directing his energy towards other art forms, namely painting.
K.Ż.: What triggered Beksiński’s interest in photography?
A.S.: Beksiński became intensely interested in photography towards the end of his architectural studies. This was related to his unfulfilled dream of becoming a film director, which, although not realised, may have been partly compensated for by a photo camera and later also a video camera. In his letters, Beksiński repeatedly referred to the artistic movements of the 20th century, emphasising his fascination with surrealism, abstraction and the new directions that shaped contemporary art. These influences clearly left their mark on his photographs.
The human body, its complexity, intimacy and relationship to space were recurring themes in Beksiński’s photography, generating profound formal and content–related experiments. The artist did not limit himself to the classical portrait, but introduced abstract and surreal elements. For him, the portrait became a space to show both the “physical” face and the inner world, emotions and the psyche. Over time, Beksiński began treating photography almost like painting- a foreshadowing of his later activities. His approach, full of creative experiments, formed the foundation for further artistic exploration.
K.Ż.: So, do we find in Beksiński’s photographs the beginnings of dark visions and fantastic cosmogonies known from his most popular paintings?
A.S.: Most definitely, especially in his later works, this anxiety is increasingly visible. Although this darkness is more subtle in the photographs, there is no shortage of elements indicating the artist’s fascination with mysterious and disturbing visions. Beksiński repeatedly emphasised that painting was for him “photographing dreams”, which also reflects his approach to photography. Although Beksiński’s photographs are more rooted in reality, they still convey an atmosphere of anxiety. Through the way he frames reality, he gives it a surreal, almost dreamlike character.
“He did not want to document everyday life, but to create and give it a new, subjective character.”
— Aleksandra Szwedo
K.Ż.: The National Museum in Wrocław has one of the largest collections of Beksiński’s photographs. How did they end up in Wrocław – and why here?
A.S.: Zdzisław Beksiński’s collection of photographs was given to the National Museum in Wrocław in 1977, when the artist decided to donate part of his work in connection with his planned move to Warsaw. Knowing that he would not be able to take it all with him, he decided that his photographs, which he considered valuable, should go to an institution that would take good care of them. Thanks to the efforts of Adam Sobota, the museum’s long-time curator, the valuable collection was added to one of the largest and oldest photography collections in Poland. Although the value of these photographs was initially underestimated, today we can enjoy this unique gift. Almost 200 prints – ones that Beksiński considered to be the most important in his work. This collection is not only diverse but also shows the full range of technical possibilities and the artist’s unlimited imagination.
K.Ż.: How did working with the museum’s photography collection enrich your understanding of Beksiński as an artist? How did it shape the narrative you present in this exhibition?
A.S.: I must admit that initially my image of Zdzisław Beksiński was shaped not only by his paintings, but also by reading Magda Grzebałkowska’s “Portrait of a Double” and the now iconic film “The Last Family” by Jan P. Matuszyński. Through these sources, I saw the artist as living in the shadow of his dark visions, withdrawn and isolated. However, when I started to explore the archives, it turned out that my perception needed a thorough revision. I was surprised not only by the number of photos, but especially by their extraordinary diversity, completely different from his paintings, which remain consistent, expressive and distinctive. In his photographs, I saw a completely different artist – constantly searching, experimenting, and extremely open to the world. It is from these photographs that the figure of an artist emerges – one who is constantly striving to discover new subjects and forms of expression.
Beksiński’s works include abstracts as well as portraits, nudes, self–portraits, and photos of urban landscapes – all full of both tenderness and anxiety. They show the same intense need to understand reality, this constant pursuit of capturing something that eludes definition. In his photographs, Beksiński takes on completely new subjects, constantly searching for answers to the questions that have been bothering him. It is this creative restlessness, this constant need to explore the medium and discover its boundaries, that has become crucial to understanding him as an artist and a man.
“Although Beksiński’s photographs are more rooted in reality, they still convey an atmosphere of anxiety. Through the way he frames reality, he gives it a surreal, almost dreamlike character.”
— Aleksandra Szwedo
K.Ż.: However, The Phenomenal. Zdzisław Beksiński exhibition not only features the works of the eponymous artist but also the works of Jerzy Lewczyński, Bronisław Schlabs, and Norman Leto. How do they complement the narrative of the exhibition?
A.S.: The relationship between Zdzisław Beksiński and Jerzy Lewczyński was one of the most fascinating in the Polish art scene. Their bond went beyond creative collaboration, exemplifying a friendship that allowed for an open exchange of ideas as well as heated disputes and confrontations. Beksiński shared Lewczyński’s passion for photography for many years and always emphasised how much he valued friendships in which a real exchange of views was possible – “a good argument”, as he put it. Olga Ptak, editor of their correspondence, quotes Norwid: “To differ beautifully and strongly” – and this best reflects the nature of their relationship.
In 1957, Lewczyński, Beksiński, and Bronisław Schlabs formed an informal art group, which resulted in the aforementioned groundbreaking exhibition “Pokaz zamknięty” (“Closed Exhibition”) – one of the most important events in the history of Polish photography. Their surreal and abstract works were a manifesto of creative freedom in the times of the Polish People’s Republic, when the regime suppressed any attempts to go beyond socialist realism. The exhibition was censored, and only a small group of people had access to it. I wanted to highlight this relationship in the exhibition and remind people of this extremely significant show.
Working with Norman Leto was my dream from the very beginning. Leto, Beksiński’s long-time student and later close friend, created an installation in the space of the immersive room – “The Solid of Beksiński’s Biography”. This work is of great value to me because it allows me to transfer Beksiński’s work into the context of the present day. It is a portrait, but not in the traditional form. It is a synthesis of life achievements, experiences and events. It is an abstract shape that reflects a person’s life, a poetic interpretation of existence. For me, it is of great value to be able to present at the exhibition the work of an artist who was so close to Beksiński, both personally and artistically.
Through the works of Lewczyński, Schlabs, and Leto, The Phenomenal. Zdzisław Beksiński not only becomes an attempt to understand Beksiński himself, but also to show him in a broader artistic context.
“The whole exhibition, the story behind it, is supposed to give the feeling of meeting a man who becomes a “phenomenon”, precisely because each of us has a different, individual image of this character in our minds.”
— Aleksandra Szwedo
K.Ż.: If the visitor were to leave The Phenomenal with one work or a set of works in their memory, what do you think it might be?
A.S.: I don’t have a clear answer. I would like the viewer to remember the portrait, not one specific photograph, but rather an impression that will remain in their memory. For me, it will be a success if the audience leaves the exhibition with a new image of Zdzisław Beksiński – one that shows him as a more complete and complex character. It is a portrait that viewers can create based on their own experiences, emotions and interpretations. It is no coincidence that when entering the exhibition, we come across the inscription: “Everyone has their own Beksiński”. It is true – each of us carries an image of this artist within us.
By no means do I want to convince others of my vision, because the exhibition – I hope – has been constructed in such a way as not to provide ready-made answers. My goal is not to hold the viewer’s hand, but to create a space where you can find silence, breathe, and have a moment of reflection. It is a large exhibition – 160 works – where each photograph has its own role. The whole exhibition, the story behind it, is supposed to give the feeling of meeting a man who becomes a “phenomenon”, precisely because each of us has a different, individual image of this character in our minds.
And maybe that, and not the answer to the question of whether Beksiński was a brilliant artist or whether all his art is phenomenal, is the most important thing. However, I am convinced of one thing: his creative processes, this constant self-doubt and doubt about art, his anxiety and constant search for new forms of expression – these characteristics make Beksiński a great, but also an insatiable mind. His art is a record of anxiety, of this constant need to understand the meaning of one’s actions in a world full of chaos and absurdity. It is a mind that never stopped asking questions – and I think that this is what makes his work so relevant. The doubts that arose in his mind resonate in each of us, and that is what makes Beksiński so phenomenal.
Phenomenal Zdzisław Beksiński / Fenomenalny. Zdzisław Beksiński
April 13 – August 24, 2025
Four Domes Pavilion – Museum of Contemporary Art Branch of the National Museum in Wrocław
