"The current generation of young artists feels the need to shock the viewer into reaction. When one comes into contact with the works of Zbyszek Koziol, one feels the footprint of something ancient and visceral yet modern and challenging.  As the viewer is absorbed deeper into his thought-provoking works, a sensation of freedom only felt during childhood rises to the surface.  Not since the works of Basquiat has there been such clarity of thought and lack of pretension. 

            A natural and contagious enthusiasm for the arts gave rise to an unconventional period of process and experimentation.  An innate desire led him to study the history of the arts in Glasgow, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam and Sweden.  Throughout the 1970’s Zbyszek worked for Polish Jazz Society as a jazz promoter, producer of concert tours and International Jazz Festivals. He extensively traveled through out Europe, Soviet Union, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, and finally settled down in Australia (1981). Here he would begin to examine his budding language through wood, glass and leather sculpture and later in the creation of wearable art. These tangible expressions led him to be chosen for a documentary film by Sydney’s City Council Art Department as 1 of 20 non-Australian artists. In 1985 he relocated to New York.

 Ultimately his travels and experiences of diverse cultures, music and art found a unity and natural rhythm through his distinctive and cohesive language articulated in paint. For the past twenty years he lives and works in Key West, Florida."

By Samantha Butler, N.Y.

 

 

BIOGRAPHY

Publications, collectors and credits:

 

 

 

BIOGRAPHY:

 

 

1946;        Born in Kudowa Zdroj, Poland.

 

1969 -73: Studied English Language at the Cambridge School of English, London.

 

1974:        Travels to study History of the Arts in Glasgow, Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam and Malmo, Sweden.

 

1977:       Graduates the Central School of Planning and Statistics in Warsaw; MA in Economics.                                                                                                                                       

                

1977-80:   Works for Polish Jazz Society  in Warsaw. Director of the International Jazz-Festivals Department. (Concert production and promotion: Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Sarah Vaughn, Gerry Mulligan, MJQ, Roberta Flack, Duke Ellington Big Band, Woody Herman Orchestra, Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, John Mc Laughlin, Shakti, Muddy Waters, Tania Maria, Benny Goodman Orchestra and many others).

                  Travels to France, Italy, Sweden, Hungary, India, Nepal.                               

1981;        Travels to record and document folk music for Polish Jazz Society’s Record Club: USSR, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.

1981-85:    Settles in Australia:

                  Works on a Sheep Farm near Perth in Western Australia. Photographs the Outback. Moves to Sydney. Experiments with ‘wood-glass-leather’ sculptures, starts to paint and make wearable art.

                  Chosen by the Sydney’s City Council (Art Dept.) as one of the twenty

                   non-Australian born artists to be filmed and their work documented for       

                   educational’ purposes.

                   Travels around Australia. Visits Scotland, Sri Lanka.

1985:         Invited to co-organize MILES DAVIS concert tour in the USSR and

                   Poland.

                   Travels to India, Tunisia, London and New York.

                  

                   New York:            

                   Photographs Miles Davis for Kultura Magazine, Moscow.

                   Works on designs for silk and fabric for Henry Bendell, Bergdorf Goodman                                                                                                 

                  and other major outlets in New York’s fashion industry.

 

1986-87:    New York;

                  One Man Show at the New York Open Center,

                  Celadan Gallery: Group Show, Soho, N.Y.

 Interior design and mural paintings of Mondo Cane Blues Bar, Greenwich  Village,

                   Mural paintings for Wonderland Blues Bar, N.Y.,

                   Interior design of Mondo Cane is featured in Birkman’s Vampire’s Kiss movie

                   (Starring: Nicholas Cage and Jennifer Beals.),

 

1987:         Moves to Key West, Florida, to paint and work on fabric design and wearable art.

                  Impulse Gallery, Lake Forest, Chicago; Group Show,

1989:         Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Fund raising show. Represented

                   by Impulse Gallery.

1989:          Relocates to Berkeley, California.

1990:          Relocates to Los Angeles, Venice Beach.

                   Works on wood installations, paintings, hand painted furniture and automobiles.

1991-95:     Kennedy Galleries:

                   Permanent installation of paintings and sculptures at:

                   Key West- Florida,

                   Nassau- Bahamas,

                   Cayman Islands-B. W. I.,

                   Boston,

                   Provincetown, MA,

                   Miami,

                   Naples, Florida.

 

 1994 – 95: 

                  Group and Solo Shows;

                  Opera Gallery, Warsaw, Poland,

                  Epic Gallery, Naples, Florida,

                  Wooden Menagerie, Hilton Head, NC.

 

1995:       Zbyszek Gallery opens in Key West, (Featuring work by Zbyszek Koziol and wife, Tippi Heywood-Koziol).

 

1996:        "Zbyszek and Tippi Koziol" show at the Kennedy Gallery, Cayman Islands, B.W.I.

 

1997:        One Man Show; Deutsche Verkstatten, Dresden, Germany.

 

1998:         Zbyszek and Tippi: "Home Brew". Annual Show; Kennedy Gallery, Cayman Islands.

 

1999:          Works on animated cartoon (30 min) with wife Tippi and Professor Karl Staven

                   (University of the Arts in Philadelphia.)

 

2000:         Group Show at the Key West Museum of Art in the Custom House.

 

2002,         "Piano Dog Visits the Underworld" cartoon was completed and premiered on

                  Plasma Screen at Leicester Square, London,

 

2003:         Zbyszek Gallery opens in Delray Beach, Florida.

 

2004:         Zbyszek Gallery opens in St. Petersburg, Florida. Begins to write autobiography: “The Map of the Beautiful One Hundred.”

 

2004,         Zbyszek Gallery opens in Key West.                       

 

2005,         Writes "Piano Dog. Stolen Dreams." Illustrates the book together with wife Tippi and sons; Antoni (16) and Aleksander (14).     

 

 

 

 

PUBLICATIONS:
                                                          

 

“OBSERVER” Magazine, U.K. (5/1992),

 “FINANCIAL TIMES TELCOM INTERNATIONAL” (Cover), U.K.  (1998),

 “ELLE” Magazine (11/1986)

 “ANGELES”, Los Angeles Magazine, (5/ 1990),

 “AMERICAN STYLE”

 “NICHE”

 “MIAMI HERALD”

 “BLUES LIFE” Vienna, Austria,

 “TWOJ STYL” Poland,

 “PIA” Magazine, N.Y.

 “RELAX” Magazine, N.Y.

 “SUN SENTINEL” Fort Lauderdale,

 “TODAY” MAGAZINE, London, U. K.

 “CAYMAN AIR” (Cover),

 “EASTERN AIRLINES”

 “KEY WEST CITIZEN”, “ISLAND LIFE”, “SOLARES HILL”, “KEY WEST THE

 NEWSPAPER”, "KEY WEST MAGAZINE"

 

1. Credits in movie productions of the “Vampire’s Kiss” and “Piano Dog Visits the

Underworld”.

2. Artist of the Year 1991, Cultural Preservation Society, Key West,

3. Winner of the Mobile Float Installations for ‘Fantasy Fest’; sponsored by the

MARRIOTT, Key West, 1990.

 

 

 

 A few selected COLLECTORS of Zbyszek Koziol’s work:

 ***************************************************                                                                    

 I.B.M Vienna, Austria,

CATERPILLAR Geneva, Switzerland,

UGLAND Companies, Norway,

TIME Magazine, Mr. Norman Pearlstine, Editor in Chief,

Kelly Mc Gillis, Actress,

Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin

The Rolling Stones, “Steel Wheel Tour” San Francisco, 1989

The Estate of Mr. Mrs. Joseph Imparato, Cayman Islands,

The Estate of Mr. Mrs. Dick Christensen, Cayman Islands,

Louise Story, NEW YORK TIMES

National Museum, Cayman Islands,

Baroness Caroline Quanonne de Bill, Miami,

Spotswood Companies, Key West,

The Estate of Mr. Mrs. Stephane & Joanna Hild, London/Paris/Warsaw,

Professor Jerome Quint, American Board of Surgery, Warwick, NY

The University of British Columbia, Professor Joel L. Bert,

Brockman und Reichelt GMBH, Berlin, Germany,

Mr. Mrs. Waldman, VERITAS Software, California,

Mr. Conrad Koziol, Universal Studios, London,

Dr. Jeffrey Lamkin, Ohio,

Mr. Mrs. Scott Lawson, Texas,

AMERITECH, Mr. Mark. A. Chudzinski, Chicago,

University of the Arts, Philadelphia, Prof. Karl Staven,

Mr., Mrs. Ara and Gayle Seropian, Lancaster, Pennsylvania,

Judy Ashe, Tulsa, Oklahoma,

M.S. Baier, Key West/ New York,

Dr. Mark Madis, New Jersey,

Cezary & Lee Skubiszewski, Melbourne, Australia,

Marek Olko, Warsaw, Poland.

Justin Vineyards, California.

Gregory L. Gilpin, Composer, Indianapolis, Indiana

Joaquim Haickel, Congressman, Manaus, Brazil

Richard Sherma, Atlanta, Georgia

Carmen Connors, Edmonton, Canada

Jonathan Bank, Diplomat, Bethesda, Maryland

Dov Bezdezowski, Staten Island, N.Y.

Mark Metzger, Scottsboro, Alabama

Mathew White, Louisville, Kentucky

Micah Stern, New York

Bill Smithers, Vienna, Virginia

Professor Danita Feinberg,, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida

Dr. Andrea Johnson, Okemos, Michigan

Erik Holmlin, Becton Dickinson, San Diego, California

Randall & Lynn Rush, Covington, Louisiana

Suzanne Stevens, Reistertown, Maryland

Paul & Kati Schmieder, Bellville, Texas

Michael Celinski, New York

Lois Albury, West Springfield, Massachusetts

Nicolas Decayeux, Feuquieres en Vimeu, France

Shawn Helm, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington D.C.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Letter of recommendation (by Jerzy Kosinski):