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Mediathek Sorted

Media library
  • Wiesław Smętek, Greece, 1983, oil on canvas, 42 x 48 cm, in possession of the artist
    Greece, 1983
  • Wiesław Smętek, Battle of Bonn 1994 (inspiration: Jan Matejko, Battel of Grundwald), STERN, 1994
    Battle of Bonn
  • Wiesław Smętek, Kamienie (Stones), 1985, linecut, (20/30), 48 x 60, possession of the artist
    Kamienie (Stones), 1985
  • Wiesław Smętek, Polish-German neighbourhood, DIALOG, 1998
    Polish-German neighbourhood
  • Wiesław Smętek, Jajo (Egg), 1984, linocut, (25/30), 48 x 55 cm, possession of the artist
    Jajo (Egg), 1984
  • Wiesław Smętek, World War I anniversary, DIALOG, 1998
    World War I anniversary
  • Wiesław Smętek, Dutsch, 1987-1997, oil on canvas, 110 x 80 cm, in possession of the artist
    Dutsch, 1987-1997
  • Wiesław Smętek, Berlin, DIALOG,2008
    Berlin
  • Wiesław Smętek, Sara, 1991, oil on canvas, 115 x 95 cm, in possession of the artist
    Sara, 1991
  • Wiesław Smętek, The Weimer Triangle – what next? DIALOG, 2016
    The Weimer Triangle – what next?
  • Wiesław Smętek, Panta Rhei (formerly: Rubbish), 1987, linecut (9/30), 70 x 110 (+3) cm, possession of the artist (Prize of the City of Winterthur / XYLON 10)
    Panta Rhei (formerly: Rubbish), 1987
  • Wiesław Smętek, The Islamization of Europe, DIALOG und DIE ZEIT, 2014/2016
    The Islamization of Europe
  • Wiesław Smętek, Titanic-Coca-Cola, 1999, pastel on paper, 35 x 25 cm, private collection Hamburg
    Titanic-Coca-Cola, 1999
  • Wiesław Smętek, Enlargement of the EU, DIALOG, 2016
    Enlargement of the EU
  • Wiesław Smętek, Mirka, 1988-2014, oil on canvas, 47 x 45 cm, possession of the artist
    Mirka, 1988-2014
  • Wiesław Smętek, Polish thinking about Europe (after Chełmoński) DIALOG, 2016
    Polish thinking about Europe
  • Wiesław Smętek, Untitled, 1991-2019, oil, pencil on canvas and board, 115 x 95 cm, in possession of the artist
    Untitled, 1991-2019
  • Wiesław Smętek, Germany in Europe (after Casper David Friedrich), DIALOG, 2016
    Germany in Europe
  • Wiesław Smętek, Anatomie (Anatomy), 1988-2014, oil on canvas, 47 x 45 cm, possession of the artist
    Anatomie (Anatomy), 1988-2014
  • Wiesław Smętek, Angela Merkel – „the mother of the nation”, DIE WELTWOCHE, 2016
    Angela Merkel – „the mother of the nation”
  • Wiesław Smętek, Tycjan (Tizian), 1991-1997, oil on canvas, 74 x 74 cm, in possession of the artist
    Tycjan (Tizian), 1991-1997
  • Wiesław Smętek, Desintegration of the EU, DIALOG, 2016
    Desintegration of the EU
  • Wiesław Smętek, Capri-rocks, 1991, oil on canvas, 100 x 120 cm, in possession of the artist
    Capri-rocks, 1991
  • Wiesław Smętek, Strangers in Poland (refugees), DIALOG, 2016
    Strangers in Poland (refugees)
  • Wiesław Smętek, Mały Rembrandt (Little Rembrandt), 1988-2019, oil on hard plate, 46 x 44 cm, possession of the artist
    Mały Rembrandt (Little Rembrandt), 1988-2019
  • Wiesław Smętek, Literature, DIALOG and DIE ZEIT, 2016
    Literature
  • Wiesław Smętek, Danziger Bucht (Bay of Gdansk), 2008, oil on canvas, 160 x 200 cm, in possession of the artist
    Danziger Bucht (Bay of Gdansk), 2008
  • Wiesław Smętek, Covering up pedophilia in the Church, STERN, 2016
    Covering up pedophilia in the Church
  • Wiesław Smętek, Garnix (Nothing), 2010, oil on canvas, 160 x 200 cm, private collection
    Garnix (Nothing), 2010
  • Wiesław Smętek, War and peace, DIALOG, 2018
    War and peace
  • Wiesław Smętek, Marocco, 2012, oil on canvas, 160 x 200 cm, private collection
    Marocco, 2012
  • Wiesław Smętek, Radical feminism (after Helmut Newton), DIALOG, 2022
    Radical feminism
  • Wiesław Smętek, Sonnenhut (Sunhat), 2013, oil on canvas, 160 x 200 cm, private collection
    Sonnenhut (Sunhat), 2013
  • Wiesław Smętek, 50 Years Deutsch-Polnische Gesellschaft Hamburg 1972-2022, 2022
    50 Years Deutsch-Polnische Gesellschaft Hamburg 1972-2022
  • Wiesław Smętek, Hund och katt, 2013, oil and wall paint on canvas, 160 x 200 cm, private collection
    Hund och katt, 2013
  • Wiesław Smętek, German as a Boogeyman, DIALOG, 2021
    German as a Boogeyman
  • Wiesław Smętek, Danziger Bucht 2 (Bay of Gdansk), 2014, oil and wall paint on canvas, 160 x 200 cm, private collection
    Danziger Bucht 2 (Bay of Gdansk), 2014
  • Wiesław Smętek, German as a Boogeyman, DIALOG, 2021
    German as a Boogeyman
  • Wiesław Smętek, Robaki (worms), 2014, oil on canvas, 160 x 200 cm, in possession of the artist
    Robaki (worms), 2014
  • Wiesław Smętek, War – interesting times, HANDELSBLATT, 2022
    War – interesting times
  • Wiesław Smętek, Gas as a weapon, HANDELSBLATT, 2022
    Gas as a weapon
  • Wiesław Smętek, Scream – war (inspiration: Scream by Edvard Munch), 2022
    Scream – war
  • Wiesław Smętek, Identities of Wrocław (German: Breslau), DIALOG, 2022
    Identities of Wrocław
  • Wiesław Smętek, Exhibition in the NIEBO Gallery

    Due to the pandemic only digitally accessible, 2020
  • Wiesław Smętek, Exhibition in Hamburg-Altona, 2014
    Paintings-Exhibition
  • Wiesław Smętek, Wobbling super power, HANDELSBLATT, 2022
    Wobbling super power
  • Wiesław Smętek, Stone wall, 2022
    Stone wall

With humour, detachment and great precision: Wiesław Smętek

Wiesław Smętek, 2022
Wiesław Smętek, 2022

Wiesław Smętek was born in Łobżenica, a small town in Pomorze, in 1955. He did his final exams at the high school for art in Bydgoszcz in the graphic art class run by Stanisław Matuszczak. He then studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk (Akademia Sztuk Pięknych w Gdańsku) and was awarded his degree in 1981. A decade later, he received an artist’s visa and travelled with his family to Bremerhaven to prepare an exhibition.

After some time, Smętek decided to stay in Germany. The most prominent weekly magazines “Der Stern” and “Der Spiegel” were interested in the Polish artist's work (in 1999, he began a permanent collaboration with “Die Zeit”). He soon found recognition with other publishers as well. In addition to the magazines previously mentioned, others like “Cicero”, “GEO” and “Handelsblatt” soon followed. During the 30 years that he worked in Germany, he created more than 1,000 cover pictures and more than 3,000 illustrations for newspapers and magazines. For “Die Zeit” alone, he created more than 600 illustrations between 2001 and 2014, 230 of which appeared on the cover.

Smętek’s works were the subject of much discussion and often provoked lively reactions. He draws with great aplomb and humour, often using historical motifs, including those from the Polish past and the Polish-German relationships. He “reworks” the works of Polish painters in his own way.

His depiction of the slaughter at Grunwald / Tannenberg, which he created in 1994 for the weekly magazine “Der Stern” to mark the first nationwide Bundestag election after German reunification, continues to make an impression many years later thanks to his choice of motif and sophisticated workmanship (Smętek replaced the Matejko figures from the original oil painting, which was created in 1875–78 and is one of the principal works of art in Poland, with leading contenders from the election campaign).

The bandwidth of the topics tackled by the artist is extremely broad. A keen eye, a talent for associations and, above all, excellent mastery of his craft and speed of execution make it possible for him to successfully realise different topics. He has often been called on to complete a project within just a few hours. Astounded at Wiesław Smętek, Giovanni di Lorenzo, the publisher of the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”, wrote, “I don’t know anybody who can create something impressive on almost any topic from the areas of politics, the economy, knowledge, culture and society in such a short time.”

Wiesław Smętek has also been working with German-Polish newspapers for years, including the magazine “DIALOG”. He designs book covers as well and has received numerous awards. In 1996, he was awarded the gold medal of the Art Directors Club Germany. An exhibition of his selected works can currently be seen at the Mathematischer Turm at Wrocław University (organised within the framework of the fourth Congress for Polish Researchers of Germany). These works were also included in a virtual exhibition.

There is no doubt that Smętek provokes, makes people think and, in a sense, ultimately but not finally, teaches the recipients of his work....

 

Krzysztof Ruchniewicz, November 2022

 

 

 

Wiesław Smętek’s website: https://smetek.de/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/w_smetek/