Andrzej Strumiłło, painter, printmaker, sculptor, photographer, author and poet born in 1927 in Vilnius, has been strongly influenced by travel. According to the critic Mieczysław Porębski, “More than anything Strumiłło has been drawn to and continues to be drawn to Asia – its vast expanses, its past, its scales, its contrasts.”
The artist journeyed to Mongolia, Nepal, India, China and Vietnam, each time becoming even more deeply fascinated by the traditions, philosophies and canons of beauty of the Far East. His refined, simplified works were inspired by Chinese and Japanese aesthetics and calligraphy: “the symbolism, lapidary shortcuts, mysteries held by centuries-old layers of ink made up on stones.” The exhibition at the Manggha Museum features drawings he made during his travels, works from the series Catalogue and Lama Symbols, granite sculptures Adsum and Om, and photos from the Meditations cycle. (dd)
