On serfdom

The beginning of the creative path of Zygmunt Walenciak, born in 1935, looked like most self-taught artists. His talent was discovered by his teachers, who suggested topics or helped to acquire materials. At first, the artist painted school decorations, portraits from photographs, and copies of paintings by respected artists. One of the first was a copy of Rejtan by Jan Matejko. His next works, watercolours painted "for himself" depicting still life, landscapes from the vicinity of Parczew and human figures, were noticed in 1970 by researchers from the Provincial House of Culture in Lublin who acquired the objects for an exhibition. The artist subsequently tried his hand at graphics (portraits, caricatures, female nudes, abstract forms) and oil painting on fibreboard (childhood memories, everyday scenes and rituals from village life) before abandoning them in favour of sculpture, which was much more promoted by state institutions in the 1970s and 1980s.

Despite numerous works created for competitions and undertaking a variety of themes, Walenciuk is closest to issues related to patriotic traditions of the nation and illustrations of old Podlasie folk customs. The artist devoted many works to his native village and surroundings, the period of his childhood - Christmas carol singing, children's games, farming activities. His works do not lack religious representations - figures of Sorrowful Christ, Mother of God (for example Shepherd Mother of God, the Protector of Podlasie) or patron saints. His merit is preservation in wood and remembrance of the culture of the Uniate population living in Podlasie.

His works are full-plastic sculptures and bas-reliefs made mainly in lime wood, but also in oak, poplar and pear tree. Often, the wood itself - its shape or structure of knots - influenced the choice of the way of working out the solid. Another distinguishing feature is the original polychromy in a palette of subtle and pastel colours. The artist does not use opaque paints. He achieves the effect by experimenting, combining techniques and using watercolour, crayon and stains of various shades in his work.

Walenciuk's oeuvre includes around three hundred watercolours, one hundred paintings and almost one thousand sculptures, many of which can be found in museum collections and private collections or adorn the local churches and wayside shrines.