Jan Berdyszak

Jan Berdyszak (1934–2014) was a distinguished Polish artist—sculptor, painter, graphic artist, installation creator, scenographer, educator, and art theorist. He studied sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznań, where he later taught for many years and served as vice-rector. He also worked as a stage designer in theaters in Poznań. Berdyszak received numerous honors, including the Jan Cybis Award, the Knight’s and Officer’s Crosses of the Order of Polonia Restituta, and the Gold Medal Gloria Artis.

Berdyszak’s work is deeply philosophical, strongly influenced by Eastern philosophy. He explored visualizing concepts such as openness, infinity, darkness, and density. Space played a central role in his art—both as part of the object’s structure and as a force that disrupts it. By introducing real openings into his paintings, he enabled the merging of real and pictorial realities, creating unique sensory and intersensory experiences.