Cutout

Lilia Sola, born in 1940, is a folk artist working in the field of decorative arts, a poet and populariser of folk art. Her artistic work consists mainly of paper cut-outs. Taking inspiration from her mother's and grandmother's works, which were in line with the regional tradition (see: E/433/ML), as well as observing the cut-out style of Ignacy Dobrzyński (1882-1960) and Bronisław Pietrak (1914-1997), also engaged in cut-outs in the Puławy district, she developed her own style. Cut-outs are characterised by a composition enclosed in a circle, square or rectangle, although there are also so-called trees. Geometric and plant motifs dominate, and zoomorphic motifs are less common. The artist also successfully deals with embroidery and paper-craft. He makes traditional interior decorations and holiday props: spiders, tissue paper flowers, palms, garlands, Christmas tree ornaments, wedding rods. Looking for new forms of artistic expression, she tried her hand at glass painting and sculpture. For several years, she has also been active as a writer - writing memoirs, short stories and poems, in which she refers to past times and traditions.

The versatile artist is also an active member of the Association of Folk Artists, of which she has been a member since 1979. Her works have found their way into museum collections in Poland and abroad. The National Museum in Lublin has twenty-eight intricate cut-outs in its collection.

Over the years she has participated in many competitions and reviews of the Lublin region's art, receiving numerous awards and distinctions. For her artistic and popularising activity, in 1999 she was honoured with the diploma of the Minister of Culture and Art "For merits in popularising folk culture". She has also received other high state distinctions: the Bronze Cross of Merit (1976), the Silver Cross of Merit (1985), and the Golden Cross of Merit (1998). In 1983, she was awarded the "Distinguished Cultural Service Award". She was also appreciated by the authorities of the Lubelskie Voivodeship, who awarded her the honorary badge "For Merits to the Lublin Region" in 1989. In 2019, she became a laureate of the Oskar Kolberg Award, which has the rank of the most important nationwide distinction for lifetime achievements in the field of folk culture.