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Zbyszek Koziol'S Biography

       “ 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:
 

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. Manager 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
                  Designs on fabric for Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman, Bonwit Teller  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 film, Vampire’s Kiss (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:

  1. Key West- Florida,

  2. Nassau- Bahamas,

  3. Cayman Islands-B. W. I.,

  4. Boston,

  5. Provincetown, MA,

  6. Miami,

  7. Naples, Florida.

 1994 – 95: 

 Group and Solo Shows;

  1. Opera Gallery, Warsaw, Poland,

  2. Epic Gallery, Naples, Florida,

  3. 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).

2009:        Group shows at Fleming Gallery,  Seaport Gallery  and  Beal Studio, Key West.

                 "Small Works in Oil", Kuhlhausart Gallery, Harbor Springs, Michigan. 

                 "Zbyszek Gallery" re-opens at 426 Petronia Street, in Key West.

 

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"

  • "ANGORA" MAGAZINE, POLAND (2)
     

  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, collection of hand painted garments for “Steel Wheel Tour” San Francisco, 1989

  • Shel Silverstein, Cartoonist and Author

  • Tim and Helen Coon, Charlevoix, Michigan,

  • 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,

  • Spottswood 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 Shores, Tulsa, Oklahoma,  (It must be  acknowledged here  that Mrs. Shores is a true admirer and a major collector, sponsor of Zbyszek and Tippi's work:

  • She  owns over 85 original paintings and sculptures, various sizes. Thank you Judy...

  • M & S Baier, Key West/ New York,

  • Dr. Mark & Jane 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.

  • Kurt J,C. Salomonsen, Stavanger, Norway

  • Miriam O'Day, Edgewater, Maryland

  • Denise Bradley, Mike Bundlie, KEWL Magazine, LA, California

  • Dr. Edwin & Josephine Anderson, Naples, Florida

  • Mr. Mrs. M. E. Konferowicz, New Britain, Connecticut

  • MM Tarpey, Reno, Nevada,

  • Rothschild  Estate, Harvey's lake, PA,

  • Matthew Moore, Minneapolis

  • Joshua and Diana Smrt, Davenport, IA

  • Claire Juget, Paris, France

  • Liz Myers. Yoga Teacher, Chicago

  • Mr & Mrs G. Moore, Manchester, UK

  • Chris Partleton, Milwaukee, WI

  • Cornelia Reinhardt, Sanibel Island, FL



Letter of recommendation (by Jerzy Kosinski):

 



 

Web Design by Antoni Koziol