Work by Kazimierz Ostrowski depicting Stary Sacz, tempera technique, pastel on paper, signed by the artist, dimensions:80x60 cm.
Loved and appreciated by students, extremely sociable and cordial, Kazimierz Ostrowski - for friends simply "Kach" - won hearts as a person and painter. He was born in Berlin in 1917, and moved with his family to Poznan three years later. After finishing school, he apprenticed in the workshop of his father, a room painter and advertising sign maker. After settling in Gdynia in 1934, he began making a living by painting signs on ships, including the SS Kosciuszko. He developed his artistic interests in the first years of the occupation, but due to limited opportunities and lack of materials - he limited his subject matter to landscape studies and the format of his paintings to the dimensions of a cassette. Already at that time, the artist's inclination towards syntheticism, and soon - expressiveness and vivid colors, became evident.
War, France and striped socks
After the end of World War II, Kazimierz Ostrowski became an alumnus of the State Higher School of Fine Arts in Gdansk, in the easel painting studio of Prof. Janusz Strzałecki and Prof. Artur Nacht-Samborski and in the architectural painting studio of Prof. Jacek Żuławski. In 1949, he went to Paris on a scholarship, where he studied with French artist Fernand Léger. He became very attached to his Parisian master, but, as Bożena Kowalska points out, characteristic elements of his work appeared even before he went to France, including in the previously mentioned works from the years of occupation. Communing with Léger only accelerated the crystallization of the artist's creative aspirations, and Parisian life allowed him to spread his wings.
Not surprisingly, the return to the country turned out to be a "bucket of cold water" for Ostrovsky. He was accused of having "returned from Paris saturated with capitalism." Even his striped socks were criticized, because of which he had to write an appropriate self-criticism. He recalled years later that he sat on a platform in Sopot all day with a piece of paper and a pencil, and was unable to put together even a single sentence. He had no idea what could be wrong with striped clothing? In the end, he wrote briefly that he would not wear striped socks again, because it is an invention of capitalism, and that he absolutely does not support it. In art, he remained free.
The original in communist Poland
Having "neither ancestors nor worthy successors," this incorrigible rebel, unruly and charismatic artist always followed his own paths. He did not slavishly subscribe to any specific trends - he set his own path. His works, very bold in their expression, sometimes even brash and subversive, are characterized, among other things, by extremely bold, refreshing colors. Leslaw Szolginia compared the artist's work to the music of Igor Stravinsky: "it surprises, delights, and at the same time - when there is a desire to analyze them - it awakens at the first moment a feeling of helplessness."
Ostrowski painted landscapes of Gdynia, still lifes, portraits, self-portraits and also abstract compositions. He had a special fondness for Kashubian landscapes. The sea and harbor were other subjects he readily took up. The artist captured these seemingly banal sights in a peculiar and non-standard way. For example, in the oil work "Port," he juxtaposed the harbor's harsh, industrial atmosphere with the carefree world of a child. With thick, bold contours, refreshing colors and full-bodied, brash forms, he made the structural elements rule their own logic.
The current of nature
Kazimierz Ostrowski realized himself in many fields. From 1964 until his retirement, he led the painting studio at his alma mater. In 1981, he received the title of associate professor. In addition to easel painting, he was involved in ceramics and wall painting. He also designed textiles and stained glass. He had a passion for music of literature. He walked a lot, and communing with nature gave him great joy. He always stressed the necessity of fidelity to nature, regardless of the trends that artists were promising. He recommended his subjects to "check their eye on it from time to time, and to always return to it."
The artist was very active in exhibitions. He had more than 60 solo exhibitions. He also showed his works in numerous group exhibitions abroad, including in Tokyo, Naples, Visby and Kalmar. He was honored with numerous awards, including the Grand Prix in 1970 (Festival of Polish Contemporary Painting in Szczecin). He also received the award of the Minister of Culture and Art in 1965 and the award of the President of the City of Gdynia for lifetime achievement in 1974. From February 10, 2022, selected works of Kazimierz Ostrowski can be admired at the latest exhibition at the Museum of the City of Gdynia, "MORZE / CITY / PORT".
Author: Gabriela Zbirohowska-Kościa
