Leon Tarasewicz
(born 1957)
Painter. He is a graduate of the Warsaw Academy of Fine Arts, with a degree in the studio of Prof. Tadeusz Dominik (1984). Since 1996, he has run a painting studio at his alma mater.
He debuted in 1984 with an exhibition at Warsaw’s Foksal Gallery. In his work, he firmly rejects all allusiveness, avoiding the painterly “literature” and leaving his paintings untitled. In recent years, he has been creating “total” paintings, artistic environments that claim the entire exhibition space. He represented Poland at the 49th Venice Biennale. Laureate of the Paszport Polityki award(2000), Jan Cybis Prize (2000), Nowosielski Foundation Prize (2000), The Gieysztor Prize (2018) and many others.
Selected Solo Exhibitions
2018
– Jerusalem, Foksal Gallery, Warsaw
– Muzeum Architektury, Wrocław
– Zaleszany, Leon Tarasewicz, Małgorzata Dmitruk, Arsenal Municipal Gallery, Poznań
2017
– School Works 1972-1977, Galeria Liceum Plastycznego, Supraśl
– Supraska Academy, Supraśl
2016
– Confrontations, Galeria EL, Elbląg
– Light of Paintings, Ego Gallery, Poznań
– Waliły-Kraków-Waliły, Central Railway Station, Kraków
2015
– Sztuka do miejsca. Modry/Art for the place. Modry, Silesian Museum, Katowice
2014
– Painting, State Art Gallery, Sopot
– Open Door, Ego Gallery, Poznań
2013
– Leon Tarasewicz – Limits of painting – Limits of a gallery, Galeria Biała, Lublin
2011
– Back to the Landscape, realisation on Main Market Square, Kielce
2010
– realisation, Golden Gate, Kiev [UA]
2009
– Galeria Miejska, Pasaż Tertila, Tarnów
– New Paintings, Biełaruski Tryjaloh, Socrates Villa Association, Łapicze [BY]
– Art New Media Gallery, Warsaw
2008
– National Museum, Wrocław
– Recent Paintings, Galeria Rubin, Milan [IT]
2007
– Upper, Silesian Museum, Bytom
– Leon Tarasewicz, Polish Institute, Budapest [HU]
– Museen für Kunst und Kulturesischte, Lübeck [DE]
2006
– Kunsthalle St. Annen Lübeck, Lübeck [DE]
– Foksal Gallery, Warsaw
– Galerie Grashey, Constance [CH]
2005
– Polnisches Institut, Berlin [DE]
– Springer & Winckler Galerie, Berlin [DE]
– Galeria Biała, Lublin
2004
– Galeria Biała, Lublin
– Gary Tatintsian Gallery, New York [US]
2003
– La Criée centre d’art contemporain, Rennes [FR]
– Galeria Rubin, Milan [IT]
– Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw
2002
– Fioretto Arte Contemporanea, Padua [IT]
– Galeria Muzeum Śląska Opolskiego, Opole
– Polonisches Institute, Berlin; Galerie Nordenhake, Berlin [DE]
2001
– Gary Tatintsian Gallery, New York [Us]
– Ego Gallery, Poznań
– Galleria del Cavallino, Venice [IT]
– Polish Pavilion, 49th International Art Exhibition Biennale, Venice [IT]
– La Casina di Gorizzo, Friuli [IT]
– Villa Tre Gelsi, San Martino di Codroipo [IT]
– Galeria Biala, Lublin
– Aula Gallery, Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw
– Starmach Gallery, Krakow
– Galerie Springer & Winckler, Berlin [DE]
– Galerie Nordenhake, Berlin [DE]
2000
– Foksal Gallery, Warsaw
– Salon Wystawowy Bagatt, Warsaw
– Kunstraum Neuruppin, Neuruppin [DE]
1999
– Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
– Galerie Nordenhake, Stockholm [SE]
– Galleri Sölvberget, Stavanger [NO]
– Gallery of Dom Artysty Plastyka, Warsaw
1998
– Springer & Winckler Galerie, Berlin [DE]
– Galerie Metta Linde, Lübeck [DE]
1997
– Galerie S65, Aalst [BE]
– Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw
– Galerie Stefan Andersson, Umeå [SE]
– Galerie Metta Linde, Lübeck [DE]
1996
– Springer & Winckler Galerie, Frankfurt am Mein [DE]
– Galerie Nordenhake, Stockholm [SE]
1995
– Galeria Biała, Lublin
– Górnośląskie Museum, Bytom
– Paintings 1983-1994, Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej BWA, Katowice
– BWA Gallery Arsenal, Bialystok
1994
– Springer & Winckler, Frankfurt am Mein [DE]
– Foksal Gallery, Warsaw
1993
– Springer & Winckler Galerie, Frankfurt [DE]
– Galerie Nordenhake, Stockholm [SE]
– Palace of Art, Minsk [BY]
1992
– Istituto Polacco di Cultura, Rome [IT]
– Malmö Konsthall, Malmö [SE]
1991
– Galeria Krzysztofory, Krakow
– State Museum, Bialystok
– Galerie Nordenhake, Stockholm [SE]
– Foksal Gallery, Warsaw
– Tel Aviv Museum of Art, Tel Aviv [IL]
1990
– Galerie Fahnemann, Berlin [DE]
1989
– Galerie Nordenhake, Stockholm [SE]
– Nigel Greenwood Gallery, London [UK]
– Galleria del Cavallino, Venice [IT]
1988
– National Museum, Wroclaw
– Foksal Gallery, Warsaw
– Exhibition Hall, Grodno
– Palace of Art, Minsk [BY]
1987
– Edward Thorp Gallery, New York [US]
– Damon Brandt Gallery, New York [US]
– Gallery BWA Arsenal, Bialystok
1986
– Galerie Nordenhake, Malmö [SE]
– Galleria del Cavallino, Venice [IT]
– Riverside Studios, London [UK]
– Boibrino Gallery, Stockholm [SE]
– Galerie Nordenhake, Stockholm [SE]
1985
– Dziekanka Gallery, Warsaw
– Foksal Gallery, Warsaw
– Galeria Biala, Lublin
1984
– Dziekanka Gallery, Warsaw
– White Russian Culture Society, Warsaw
– Foksal Gallery, Warsaw
Selected Group Exhibitions
2018
– Beyond Cybis, Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
2017
– À la frontière. Senos ir naujos Eutopos sienos, Jono Gatvés Galerija, Vilnius [LT]
– What About the Abstraction?, Stefan Gierowski Foundation, Warsaw
– Ten by Ten, CFHILLI, Stockholm [SE]
2016
– Odejście – 9. Wystawa Kuratorska Bielskiej Jesieni 2016, BWA Bielska Gallery, Bielsko-Biała
– New illustrations, Arsenal Gallery, Białystok
– Pankiewicz and After… Releasing colour, Lubelskie Museum, Lublin
– A Place. Scene III, Robert Maciejuk, Leon Tarasewicz, Włodzimierz J. Zakrzewski, Foksal Gallery, Warsaw
– À la frontière…! Old and New Borders in Europe, Gallery Podroom – Cultural Centre, Belgrad [RS]
– À la fronitère…! Old and New Borders in Europe, Biennale d’Arte Trieste Contemporanea, Studio Tommaseo, Triest [IT]
2015
– Łemkowskie Jeruzalem. Triple Self-portrait, Art Gallery, Legnica
– White Transformation, Galeria Biała, Lublin
– Through Realism and Abstraction: Modzelewski and Tarasewicz, Givon Art Gallery, Tel Aviv [IL]
2014
– Specimen, Masovian Centre of Contemporary Art “Elektrownia”, Radom
– Art Festival in Public Space Open City/Otwarte Miasto, Lublin
2013
– The Golden Mean, Ego Gallery, Poznań
– The Splendour of Textiles, Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
– UNI/JA-UNI/ON, Art Festival in Public Space Open City/Otwarte Miasto, kaplica Św. Trójcy, Lublin
2012
– Void, BWA Contemporary Art Gallery “Sokół”, Nowy Sącz
2011
– Side by Side. Poland – Germany. A 1000 Years of Art and History, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin [DE]
– Przenikania, aTak Gallery, Warsaw; Salon Akademii Gallery, Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw
2010
– Contemporary Art Collection of National Museum in Wrocław, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Warsaw
2009
– Polish Landscape from Arsenal Gallery in Białystok Collection and Podlaskie Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts, Museum of Contemporary Art, Minsk [BY]
– International Collection of Contemporary Art. 5th Edition, Zamek Ujazdowski Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw
– realisation at Caldogno, Vicenza [IT] created as a part of group exhibition prepared by Guggenheim Museum, Venice [IT]
– Enter-Escape, 5. International Festival of Visual Arts “Inspiracje 2009”, Szczecin
2008
– 100% of Painting, Painting Department, Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw
– Planks, Images, Words, Nowa Gallery, Poznań
– General Renovation, Galeria Biała Centrum Kultury, Lublin
– Changes Records. Polish Art from Krzysztof Musiał Collection, National Museum, Poznań
– Tarasewicz Studio at Andalusia, Galeria aTak, Warsaw
2007
– Asteism – Joke and authority, Program Gallery, Warsaw
2006
– Polish Painting of the 21st Century, Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
– In Poland, That Is Where?, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw
2005
– Warsaw-Moskow 1900-2000, Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
– Masters of Painting 1904-2004 at Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw, National Museum, Warsaw
– Collection of Polish Art of XX Century, National Museum, Kraków
– Happy Christmas, Arsenal Gallery, Białystok
2004
– Distances?, Le Plateau, Paris [FR]
– Leidenschaft und Ordnung, Polonische Institute, Düsseldorf [DE]
– Immersion, Centre for Contemporary Art, Kiev [UA]
– Duty and Riot, Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
– Professors of Painting Department, Studio Gallery, Warsaw
– Inc. The art towards corporate taking over places of public expression (in Poland), Program Gallery, Warsaw
– Presentation 3, Górnośląskie Museum, Bytom
2003
– Stockholm Art Fair, Stockholm [SE]
– Decade, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw and State Museum of Leon Wyczółkowski, Bydgoszcz
– Sol Invictus, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw
– Pro Pictura, Xawery Dunikowski Museum of Sculpture, Królikarnia, National Museum Department, Warsaw
– Presentation 3, Ujazdowski Castle, Centre for Contemporary Art; The Silesian Museum, Katowice
2002
– Polacos – El nou art de Polonia, Capella de l’Antic Hospital de la Santa Creu, Barcelona [SP]
– Polish Art of Object, President Gallery, Warsaw
– Collection, Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
– Arsenal Gallery Collection, Galeria Sektor I, Katowice
2001
– In Between: Art from Poland 1945-2000, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago [US]
– Negotiators of Art Against Reality, Bunkier Sztuki Gallery of Contemporary Art, Kraków
– Here & Now, Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
– International Collection of Contemporary Art, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw
2000
– Between Esthetics and Metaphysics, Galeria Bielska BWA, Bielsko-Biala
– Positionen, Galerie Linde, Lübeck [DE]
– Cracovian Meetings 2000, Bunkier Sztuki Gallery of Contemporary Art, Krakow
– Paintings, Center for Contemporary Art, Kiev [UA]
– Slawomir Belina – 8, Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
– Verteidigung der Moderne, Museum Würth, Künzelsau [DE]
– Die vier Jahreszeiten, Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt [DE]
– Landscapes, National Museum, Warsaw
1999
– Three Visions, Contempoaray Polish Art, Tufts University Gallery, Medford
– White Art, Arsenal Municipal Gallery, Poznań
– Toyama Now ’99, The Museum of Modern Art, Toyama [JP]
– Aspects/Positions. 50 Years of Art in Central Europe 1949-1999, mumok – Museum Moderner Kunst Stifung Ludwig, Vienna [AT]; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest [HU], Fundació Miro, Barcelona [SP]; City Gallery, Southampton [UK]; National Gallery, Prague [CZ]
1998
– Oikos, State Museum, Bytom; State Museum, Bydgoszcz; Arsenal Gallery, Bialystok
– Tomasz Ciecierski, Leon Tarasewicz, Galerie Grashey, Konstanz [DE]
– Springer & Winckler, Frankfurt
– Fragment of Collection 3, Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
– Artists of Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, State Museum, Toruń
1997
– Contempoary Art from Poland, Galerie Vývarného Umeni, Ostrava [CZ]
– Collection 3, Ujazdowski Castle Centre of Contemporary Art, Warsaw
– Horizons, Sonje Museum of Contemporary Art, Kwangju; Kwangju Museum of Contemporary Art, Kwangju; Chosun Iibo Gallery, Seoul [KR]
– Styki/Contact Prints, Foksal Gallery, Warsaw
1996
– Art and Nature, Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
– Horizons 14. Polish Contemporary Artists, Sonje Museum of Contemporary Art, Kwangju [KR]
– Lengyelország, Müveszet 1945-1996, Mücsarnok, Budapest [HU]
– Oikos, State Museum, Bydgoszcz
1995
– Tomasz Ciecierski, Leon Tarasewicz, Tomasz Tatarczyk, Foksal Gallery, Warsaw
– Collection of Leon Wyczółkowski State Museum in Bydgoszcz, Arsenal Gallery, Białystok
– Exhibition of Contemporary Art “In-Forma-Tion-95”, Museum Sztuki, Vitebsk [BL]
1994
– National Museum, Poznań
– Collection 2, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw
– Sandstorm, BWA Contemporary Art Gallery, Katowice
– Landschaften, Castello di Rivara, Rivara [IT]
– Collection, BWA Arsenal Gallery, Białystok
– Inconto a Eklisia, Gümüslük, Bodrum [TU]
– Kunstverein Freiburg e.V., Freiburg [DE]
– Der Riss im Raum, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin [DE]; Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw; National Gallery, Prague [CZ]
– Figur, Natur, Sprengel Museum, Hannover [DE]
– Givon Art Gallery, Tel Aviv [IL]
1993
– Bilans-Balans, Galeria Biała, Lublin
– Eva J. Pape – Polish Culture Cultivator in USA, Galeria Stara Kordegarda, Warsaw
1992
– Collection 1, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw
– The Expressive Struggle, Anderson Gallery, New York [USA]
1991
– Tre giovani artisti, Galleria del Cavallino, Venice [IT]
– Positionen Polen, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin [DE]
– Europe Unknown, Palace of Art, Krakow
– Kunst Europa, Bonner Kunstverein, Bonn [DE]
– David Nash & Leon Tarasewicz, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw
1990
– Tre Giovani Artisti e un Maestro di Serigrafia, Galleria del Cavllino, Venice [IT]
– Polonische Malerei der 80er Jahre, Opera, Leipzig [DE]
– Polen Zeit Kunst, Landesmuseum, Mainz; Kronprinzenpalais, Berlin; St. Augustin, Bonn [DE]
– 22e Festival International de la Peinture 1990, Chateau – Musée de Cagnes sur Mer [FR]
– Rauma Biennale Balticum, Rauma Art Museum, Rauma [FI]
– Dialogue, Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw
– The Expressive Struggle, Everson Museum of Art of Syracuse, Syracuse, The Polish Museum of America, Chicago [USA]
– Works on Paper, Nigel Greenwood Gallery, London [UK]
1989
– Dialog, Kunstmuseum, Düsseldorf [DE]
– Polská malerska tvorba ’80, Gallery of Art, Karlove Vary, Czechy
– Vision and Unity, Van Reekum Museum, Apeldoorn [NL]
– L’Occhio della Galleria, Galleria San Marco, Venice [IT]
– Wurzeln Treiben, Kuntscheraus, Berlin [DE]
1988
– Aperto ’88, 43rd International Art Exhibition Biennale, Venice [IT]
– Olympiad of Art, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul [KR]
– Triennal of Young Art, Palace of Art, Vilnius [LT]
– Art at the Edge, Museum of Modern Art, Oxford [UK]
– Polish Realities, Third Eye Centre, Glasgow [UK]
1987
– XIX Biennal Internacional de Arte, Sao Paulo [BR]
– What’s Going On?, The Former Norblin Factory, Warsaw
– Radical Realism, Concrete Abstraction, National Museum, Warsaw
1986
– Poland Painting, Ashley Gallery, Epsom [UK]
– Overland, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham [UK]
– The Forest, Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol [UK]
– Art from Poland, Galerie Nouvelles Images, The Hague [NL]
1985
– Diploma ’84, BWA Gallery, Wroclaw
– 40 Years of LSP, Arsenal Gallery, Białystok
– Ex Oriente Lux, Dziekanka Gallery, Warsaw
– Four Foksal Gallery Artists, Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh [UK]
– Dialogue, Moderna Museet, Stockholm [SE]