JACEK BYCZEWSKI- A FEW WORDS ABOUT MYSELF

It’s been more than 40 years of my adventure with jewellery – I graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts (Faculty of Sculpture, studio of Prof. J. Jarnuszkiewicz and Prof. Grzegorz Kowalski). During this time I have taken part in dozens of more and less important exhibitions ( including at least six solo ones). I have managed to win several awards, of which I value the most those from the cyclical “Camelot” competitions held in Krakow (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007), the Grand Prix in Legnica (“Table silver..and not only”), participation in 2006 organised by Hellen Drutt exhibition Challenging the Chatelaine (which launched at the Designmuseum in Helsinki to later visit museums in Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium). I was very pleased with the solo exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts in Poznań, co-organised by the YES Gallery, where I managed to bring together almost all my major projects. If I had to answer the question of what I value most in jewellery, I certainly like objects with a clear idea and I am very happy when I manage to understand it. In recent years, stainless steel and gold have been the most favoured materials in my realisations. In 2014 , a pleasant surprise: I was awarded the “Designer of the 25th Anniversary” medal based on a survey of galleries, trade magazines and professional colleagues.

ARTISTIC BIOGRAPHY

Born in Poznań, he graduated from the Department of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He has been designing and making jewellery for 40 years. Co-founder of the UFO Group and the Museum Group (in collaboration with the Museum of Goldsmithing in Kazimierz Dolny). An active member of the Association of Goldsmiths, he was chairman of the Artistic Council for many years. Organiser of numerous art jewellery exhibitions and competitions, multiple jury member. In 2008, he founded his own JB Design Gallery in Warsaw, which operated for ten years. Participant in more than a hundred exhibitions at home and abroad. Works in the Copper Museum in Legnica, the Museum of Goldsmithing in Kazimierz Dolny, the Museum in Gliwice, the Collection of Contemporary Polish Goldsmithing Art of Maria Magdalena Kwiatkiewicz and numerous other private collections.

Selected solo exhibitions:

2009 – JB+AG+AU+PT+STAL, f150 Gallery, Warsaw, Poland

2005 – Bielak Gallery, Cracow,

2004 – Au+Ag+Stal – Jewellery by Jacek Byczewski, Museum of Applied Arts, Poznań

1997 – Museum of Goldsmithery in Kazimierz Dolny

1996 – Ofir Gallery, Cracow

1996 – Gallery 86 , Lodz,

1995 – BWA Gallery, Legnica

1979 – Piotr Nowicki Gallery

Selected group exhibitions:

2013 – Exhibition of Contemporary Polish Goldsmithery from the collection of Magdalena Kwiatkiewicz, YES Gallery, Toruń, Poland

2006 – Challenging the Chatelaine, Designmuseum, Helsinki, Finlandia

2004 – Srebrne Triennale, Goldshmiedehaus, Hannau, Germany

1989 – Oro d’autore, Arezzo, Italy.

1987 – Joieria Europea Contemporana, Barcelona, Spain

1984 – Contemporery Jewellery, Museum of Modern Arts, Kioto, Japan

1980 – Schmuck International 1900-1980, Kunstlerhaus, Vienna, Austria

Prizes and awards:

2014 – Awarded the “Designer of the 25th Anniversary” Medal

2014 – International Fair “Amberif”, Gdańsk – Distinction

2009 – Gold Medal – Amberif International Trade Fair, Gdańsk

2008 – Gold Medal – Amberif International Trade Fair, Gdańsk

2008 – Second Prize – Competition- Milano Gallery , Warsaw

2005 – Two Gold Medals in various categories – International Amberif Fair, Gdańsk

2004 – Award of the Association of Goldsmiths – Competition – Milano Gallery, Warsaw

2002 – Second Prize- Competition “Presentations 2002″, Warsaw

1998 – Skarbiec Gallery Award – Camelot 1116 Competition, Cracow

1997 – Nagroda Galerii Ofir – Konkurs “Camelot 1115”, Cracow

1996 – Grand Prix – International competition “Table silver…and not only”, Legnica

1995 – Skarbiec Gallery Award – Camelot 1113 Competition, Cracow

1994 – Ofir Gallery Award – Camelot 1112 Competition, Cracow

1986 – Second Prize – ‘White and Black’ Competition, Legnica