Tadeusz Jaroszynski
Tadeusz Jaroszynski was born in 1933 in Makarska, a Yugoslavian fishing village. His family lived in Makarska until the Second World War when they were forced to flee, enduring several years of travelling from country to country. They settled finally in Zimbabwe, where Tadeusz received his first formal education.On a visit to Finland, after completing his schooling, he was accepted by and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki (1953-1957). He married fellow student, Karin.Jaroszynski returned to settle in South Africa.
From 1967 he was engaged in part-time painting only and in the same year received the Transvaal Academy Award. From 1972, he decided to devote all his time to painting. In 1975 he printed his first lithographs in Johannesburg. On a visit to Finland, Jaroszynski developed his interest inetching and brought an etching press back to South Africa. He completed a joint portfolio with Karin Jaroszynska, "The Helsinki Series", published in Johannesburg, 1975 -1977. The print resulted in a breakthrough into the European exhibition scene. Thereafter he exhibited annually at the Basel Art Fair, in Switzerland.In 1977, Tadeusz and Karin left South Africa for Sweden. During a visit to their daughter in France, ten of Tadeusz’s paintings were exhibited at the Basel Art Fair by the Romanet Gallery, Paris.
Jaroszynski moved to France. In 1979 he mounted the first of his many one-man shows at the Romanet Gallery. A monograph, entitled ‘Jaroszynski’, by Pierre Mazars, was published by the gallery.Maintaining close ties with South Africa, Jaroszynski has exhibited here on a number of occasions in both solo and group exhibitions. In 1984, with his wife Karin, he returned to South Africa and they lived and worked on a farm near Tzaneen, visiting Europe annually. Most recently (1990/1991) the Jaroszynskis made a trip to the East, visiting Hong Kong, Canton, Philippines and Australia. The couple immigrated to France in 1997 and reside and work in Paris.
Tadeusz says of his recent work: "I have returned to a certain realism in style, though ... my work always had references to nature, the sea, the sand and all that inhabits them. Finding that in the end there was less and less satisfaction in that rather playful style, I changed and it took several to see my work again. My present approach is a realism that may be described as expressionistic with humour not excluded. As always, I feel it is turned to Poetry."The colours are there, perhaps at times more brooding, forceful. The paint pushed around and built up layer upon layer until it takes on its own identity and that of the content of the work. There is a play of heavy passage against areas of thinner and looser application, at times rhythmic scribblings.The oil paintings are mostly of simple figures (some with more) and then there are what I call my notes (small paintings in gouache and ink) of mobs (crowds) and ‘the wall’, etc.. These are based on the events taking place in various parts of the world. They are closer to my old work. The paintings are mostly medium to large (170 x 120 cm) in size … as you know, it is not too easy to describe one´s own paintings.”
