Roman Cieslewicz | Retrospektywa | Retrospective | Vintage Posters

The designer of this stunning poster, Roman Cieslewicz (1930–1996) was a Polish graphic artist and photographer who studied at Kracow Academy of Fine Arts from 1949 to 1955. In 1963, he moved to France and became a citizen there in 1971. He worked as art director of Vogue and Elle magazines, and taught at the Ecole Superieure d´Arts Graphiques in Paris. Cieslewicz was a founder of the famous “Polish School of Posters”. He had over 100 solo exhibitions of prints, photomontage works, posters and photographs in many countries. His works are in the permanent collections of the National Museums in Poland, the Poster Museum in Wilanow, Poland, the New York Museum of Modern Art, Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, Musée d’Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, US Library of Congress, Fagersta Stadsbibliotek in Stockholm, as well as in numerous private collections. This particular poster was for the 1994 retrospective exhibition of Roman Cieślewicz at the Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw, celebrating the prolific career of one of Poland’s most influential graphic designers. This exhibition at Zachęta showcased a comprehensive selection of Cieślewicz’s works, reflecting his dynamic career that spanned from his early days in Poland to his influential period in Paris, where he collaborated with prominent publications like Vogue and Elle . The exhibition not only honored his artistic achievements but also underscored his impact on the visual culture of the 20th century.