Waldemar Åšwierzy

Waldemar Swierzy ( born September 9, 1931 in Katowice, † November 27, 2013 in Warsaw) was a Polish graphic artist and graphic designer who specializes in commercial graphics and internationally known for his poster art.

Life and work

Waldemar Swierzy studied at the Katowice Branch of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow in the class of Professor Józef Mroszczak. Since 1952 he lives in Warsaw, where he worked as a graphic designer for many years, the publishing house WAG and movie distribution CWP. The Polish Chamber of Commerce had entrusted him with the designs of many exhibitions at home and abroad. His posters were shown at numerous exhibitions, including in Vienna, Buenos Aires, Berlin, Moscow, Stockholm and Rio de Janeiro.

He won many awards with his posters, among others, from 1960 to 1963 each a prize for "Best Poster of the Year ". In 1959 he received the Toulouse -Lautrec Grand Prix in Versailles, the gold medal of the Polish Poster Biennale in Katowice in 1965, 1971 and 1975 and the silver medal in 1977, 1987 and 1989. He won the silver medal in the International Tourism Exhibition in Posters Milan in 1967 and the first prize of the International Biennale of the Arts in São Paulo in 1969 and the Gold Medal in 1976 and the silver medal in 1972, the International Biennial of the Poster in Warsaw. In 1964 some of his posters at the documenta in Kassel III were shown in the graphic department. He was a teacher at the Academies of Fine Arts in Poznan and Warsaw.

He designed and crafted posters, books and exhibitions. His works are part of permanent collections, including the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, in the Art Library in Berlin, in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, the Institute of Contemporary Art in London, the National Museum in Poznan, posters in the Wilanów Museum and other museums around the world.

Swierzy died on November 27, 2013 at the age of 82 years in Warsaw, where he has lived and worked until recently.

Sources and Literature

• Documenta III. International Exhibition; Catalogue: Volume 1: Paintings and Sculpture; Volume 2: Hand drawings; Volume 3: Industrial design, graphic; Kassel / Cologne 1964