A writer's vision, captured in time

The author of "The Painted Bird" was not only a talented writer but also a keen photographer. A unique set of 23 of his photographs which have recently been given to the National Museum will be presented in Królikarnia from October 18 to November 5.

A year ago the pictures were deposited in the National Museum's warehouse by a Polish contemporary art collector. The Museum later managed to find a sponsor who purchased the pictures for the institution.

The collection of pictures is extraordinary for a number of reasons. First, because Kosiński was mainly known as a writer and was taking pictures for a very short period of time. He started as a 21-year-old student of Łódź University and continued to pursue his passion for the next three years.

Secondly, despite the brevity of his experience, he managed to reach an impressive level of proficiency in the field. He was a member of several prestigious photographers' associations: The Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain (RPS), Photographic Society of America (PSA) and International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP). He also exhibited his works in Argentina, Japan and Brazil.

In 1957, the year when he emigrated to United States, he had his first photo exhibition in Krzywe Koło gallery in Warsaw. Among the pictures presented at Królikarnia, you will see Kosiński's favorite nudes, city landscapes, portraits and the scenes from the post-war streets of Warsaw.