Ryszard Orski was born in 1935 in
Zakopane. In 1954 he graduated from the
local, nationally renowned Kenar School
of Sculpture. When he realized that inde-
pendence as an artist required financial
independence, Orski decided to come to
the United States of America, where from
1963 to 1968 he worked at the Emil Greco
Art Studio in Chicago. He showed his
works in salon exhibitions from 1966
through 1972, and was the recipient of
several awards. In 1972 Orski was awarded
first prize at the 39th Annual Exhibition
of the Polish Art Club of Chicago. In 1986,
Orski represented Poland at the 42nd
International Venice Biennale of Art, then
ent on to exhibit in Moscow, Rome,
Catania, and in Poland at the Kraków Palace
of Art and in Warsaw at the Łazienki Palace.
In 1987, the National Gallery of Art in
Poznań purchased one of his sculptures for
its permanent collection. A citizen of Poland
and the USA, Orski lives on two continents
and is considered an artist of both nations.
In 2002, Orski realized his dream of building
a gallery in Zakopane devoted exclusively
to his own sculpture. His output is repre-
sented comprehensively, as the artist reluc-
tantly parts with his sculptures; he often
executes a replica for his own collection of
those he does part with. The Ryszard Orski
Gallery has become one of the attractions
of Zakopane.
Polonia
