Exhibition poster
Roman Cieslewicz Melting Mirage
May 15, 2017 – June 24, 2017
ginza graphic gallery (ggg)
DNP Ginza Building 1F/B1, 7-2, Ginza 7-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061
- Cooperation: The National Museum in Poznan
- Supervised by: Kijuro Yahagi
- Supported by: Polish Cultural and Information Center in Tokyo, Ambassade de France / Institut français du Japon
- Opening Party: May 15, 2017 (Mon) 5: 30p.m.–7: 00p.m.
- Gallery Talk:
1) May 15, 2017 (Mon) 4: 00p.m.–5: 30p.m.
Speaker: Anna Grabowska-Konwent / Curator of Poster and Design Gallery
2) May 25, 2017 (Thu) 6: 30p.m.–8: 00p.m.
Speaker: Kijuro Yahagi (Supervisor / Designer of the Exhibition)
- Publication: gggBooks-121 Roman Cieslewicz
One of the outstanding graphic designers of Poland, Roman Cieslewicz continues to inspire people intelligently with his poster and collage works of exceedingly high quality, prolifically created over the years. His incisive style which opened a new ground technique - pushing the entire image from both sides, drawing it into the center while maintaining symmetry as if manipulating a mirror – still continues to evoke a soul-shaking strong imagination to the viewer.
Cieslewicz studied Russian Constructivism and Bauhaus, while in the late 1950s, played an active role as a member of the Polish School of Posters, together with prominent artists as Henryk Tomaszewski and Jan Lenica. He moved to France in the early 1960s, where he received inspiration from the master of photomontage, John Heartfield among others and eventually came up with his carefully constructed illusionary world. Cieslewicz's techniques of applying montage to visual images, created a huge impact on the graphic design and art scene in France. In the late 1960s, he served as art director for Elle and Vogue magazines, putting passion into creating bold, innovative editorial design and photomontage. He also expressed satire, irony and criticism via visual scandal, which changed the concept of popular magazines altogether.
This exhibition - the first of its kind to be held in Japan - looks into the heart of Roman Cieslewicz’s works, through 122 posters, 29 collages and 38 magazine and graphic works carefully chosen from the valuable collection of the National Museum in Poznan. It will present numerous works full of experimental spirit that pulled the trigger to the 21st Century, by opening a new world to graphic design.
Roman Cieslewicz Profile
Born on 13th January, 1930 in Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine). After attending the School of Artistic Industry in Lwów, he and his family settled in Opole, south-western city of Poland in 1946. After graduating the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków in 1954, he moved to Warsaw, where he worked for multiple publishers, including the graphic art publisher WAG. Also, he worked for the Film Distribution Office CWF — one of the two organizations that served the state to design film posters at the time. During 1959 to 1963, he was the art director of the successful Polish monthly magazine ty i ja. In 1963, Cieslewicz left Poland with his sculptor wife Alina Szapocznikow, and moved to Germany, Italy and then finally to France. In 1971, he became a French citizen. In France, he served as art director for the communication agency, M.A.F.I.A., the fashion magazines Elle, Vogue, the art journal Opus International, and many other publications. He also engaged in design education, including his contribution to Ecole Supérieure des Arts Graphique (ESAG) since 1975. Member of AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale) since 1966. Numerous awards include, WAG Trepkowski Prize (1955), Grand Prize of the 4th International Biennial of Posters in Warsaw (1972), Special Film Poster Prize Cannes (1973), Grand Prix of Photomontage, Poland (1979), and Grand Prize of Art Graphique, France (1990). By adopting montage techniques to graphic art, making effective use of photographs, collage, typography and silkscreen, Cieslewicz brought new language to graphic expression, which greatly influenced the visual communication scene that followed. Died on 21st January, 1996 in Paris.
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