INTERNATIONAL ARTISTIC LINEN CLOTH BIENNIAL
Anna Kobak-Pisowacka - pro memoria exhibition in the Belfry Tower
Anna Kobak-Pisowacka was born in 1950 in Krosno, Poland. She graduated from the State Secondary School of Visual Arts in Nałęczów and the State Higher School of Visual Arts in Kielce, Poland. Although she developed in artistic weaving herself, this became her hallmark. Anna was accepted as a member of the elite Association of Polish Artists and Designers due to the high level of her art. She participated in many solo and group exhibitions in Poland and abroad and in the “Warsztat Twórczy – Kowary” International Symposium in Kowary, Poland eight times. Her works can be found in Krosno (PKO BP, the Museum of Crafts in Krosno, Krosno State College); Sanok (Sanok Institute of Oil and Gas Mining); Gdynia (Fregata National Maritime Museum); Bardejov (Slovakia) and Łódź (Central Museum of Textiles). Anna Kobak-Pisowacka was honoured with many awards and distinctions, including Krosno Voivodeship governor award; 1st International Weaving Triennial in Rzeszów - 1st prize (1994); “Obraz, Grafika, Rysunek, Rzeźba Roku” exhibition in the Bureau of Artistic Exhibitions in Rzeszów - 2nd prize (1996); 1st International Artistic Linen Cloth Biennial, held by the Museum of Crafts in Krosno – distinction (2000) and many others. She was focused on artistic weaving and worked also with pastel drawing and sculpture. Anna Kobak-Pisowacka died in the accident in 2003. She is buried in the cemetery in Zręcin near to Krosno.
The official biography published in many versions, including more or less detailed facts, does not describe her actual artistic achievements. The memories of Anna remind a modest person - although aware of her potential and value of her artwork. She was, above all, an artist, a weaver – as she used to describe herself. Probably, because of this craft-like aspect of her "artistic work", she and her husband – Jerzy Pisowacki aroused the idea of an exhibition entirely dedicated to the artistic linen textile.
When we have first met in June 1999 we were setting the date of the exhibition, but our talk turned into a discussion about the local weaving traditions, and the need of creating a cyclic artistic linen textile event in Krosno. Our following meetings in Zręcin brought many doubts. Although Jerzy Pisowacki was incredibly enthusiastic,it was Anna, whose artworks, workshop (currently presented in the Museum of Crafts exhibition) and stories about weaving events in Kowary and Szklarska Poręba, were probably a reason why we decided to focus not only on artworks but also on its authors. I will be grateful to Anna for the opportunity to meet so many excellent artists in the field of artistic weaving, such as Ewa Poradowska-Werszler, Maria Chojnacka, Urszula Kołaczkowska, Irena Huml, Kazimiera Frymark-Błaszczyk, Barbara Nachajska-Brożek, Aleksandra Benn, Norbert Zawisza and Wojciech Sadley. When coming back to memories of Anna I will for always stay impressed by the sincere and natural way, she admired the work of other artists and the way she enjoyed the creative achievements of them.
The exhibition we have prepared on the occasion of the 10th edition of the "Z krosna do Krosna" International Artistic Linen Cloth Biennial is unfortunately not a complete presentation of the works left by Anna. It was based on the pieces of art shared by the artist's brother – Henryk Kobak and Anna's husband. The exhibition is complemented with works from the collection of the Museum of Crafts in Krosno, the Ignacy Łukasiewicz Museum of Oil and Gas Industry in Bóbrka, Krosno State College and private collections of Ewa Cisowska, Aleksandra Zuba-Benn, Ewa Mańkowska, Maciej Syrek and Jan Tulik. Unfortunately, we were unable to rent artworks owned by hotels and banks, we also gave up on the those kept at the museums' collections. The exhibition in the gallery of the Belfry Tower an in Krosno is not only about the creativity that was proved by different forms of linen art, for several short years taking a figure of woven, glued, stitched, embroidered and mangled pieces. Moreover, it is worth to remind that thanks to Anna and Jerzy, we can again present the culture of weaving here in Krosno.
Anna Kobak-Pisowacka participated in the first two editions of the "Z krosna do Krosna" International Artistic Linen Cloth Biennial.
“She died hit by a car on April 12th next to her house in Zręcin. Now, this Great Artist is silent. But we can not be. We should speak about the beauty she created, about her kindness.” - said a poet- Jan Tulik describing his feelings after Anna's death (”Nasz Głos”, April 17th, 2003). Let this exhibition be a tribute to Anna Kobak-Pisowacka – a great, deceased artist.
The official biography published in many versions, including more or less detailed facts, does not describe her actual artistic achievements. The memories of Anna remind a modest person - although aware of her potential and value of her artwork. She was, above all, an artist, a weaver – as she used to describe herself. Probably, because of this craft-like aspect of her "artistic work", she and her husband – Jerzy Pisowacki aroused the idea of an exhibition entirely dedicated to the artistic linen textile.
When we have first met in June 1999 we were setting the date of the exhibition, but our talk turned into a discussion about the local weaving traditions, and the need of creating a cyclic artistic linen textile event in Krosno. Our following meetings in Zręcin brought many doubts. Although Jerzy Pisowacki was incredibly enthusiastic,it was Anna, whose artworks, workshop (currently presented in the Museum of Crafts exhibition) and stories about weaving events in Kowary and Szklarska Poręba, were probably a reason why we decided to focus not only on artworks but also on its authors. I will be grateful to Anna for the opportunity to meet so many excellent artists in the field of artistic weaving, such as Ewa Poradowska-Werszler, Maria Chojnacka, Urszula Kołaczkowska, Irena Huml, Kazimiera Frymark-Błaszczyk, Barbara Nachajska-Brożek, Aleksandra Benn, Norbert Zawisza and Wojciech Sadley. When coming back to memories of Anna I will for always stay impressed by the sincere and natural way, she admired the work of other artists and the way she enjoyed the creative achievements of them.
The exhibition we have prepared on the occasion of the 10th edition of the "Z krosna do Krosna" International Artistic Linen Cloth Biennial is unfortunately not a complete presentation of the works left by Anna. It was based on the pieces of art shared by the artist's brother – Henryk Kobak and Anna's husband. The exhibition is complemented with works from the collection of the Museum of Crafts in Krosno, the Ignacy Łukasiewicz Museum of Oil and Gas Industry in Bóbrka, Krosno State College and private collections of Ewa Cisowska, Aleksandra Zuba-Benn, Ewa Mańkowska, Maciej Syrek and Jan Tulik. Unfortunately, we were unable to rent artworks owned by hotels and banks, we also gave up on the those kept at the museums' collections. The exhibition in the gallery of the Belfry Tower an in Krosno is not only about the creativity that was proved by different forms of linen art, for several short years taking a figure of woven, glued, stitched, embroidered and mangled pieces. Moreover, it is worth to remind that thanks to Anna and Jerzy, we can again present the culture of weaving here in Krosno.
Anna Kobak-Pisowacka participated in the first two editions of the "Z krosna do Krosna" International Artistic Linen Cloth Biennial.
“She died hit by a car on April 12th next to her house in Zręcin. Now, this Great Artist is silent. But we can not be. We should speak about the beauty she created, about her kindness.” - said a poet- Jan Tulik describing his feelings after Anna's death (”Nasz Głos”, April 17th, 2003). Let this exhibition be a tribute to Anna Kobak-Pisowacka – a great, deceased artist.
Ewa Mańkowska
Director of the Museum of Crafts in Krosno
Director of the Museum of Crafts in Krosno
Anna Kobak-Pisowacka - pro memoria exhibition
"Z krosna do Krosna" 10th International Artistic Linen Cloth Biennial MBATL
Place: the Belfry Tower, Krosno, Piłsudskiego 5 Street
Open from 17th August to 30th September2018
The openning ceremony: 16.08.2018 at 5 p.m.
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