Igor Mitoraj
Igor Mitoraj (born
1944) is a
Polish artist born in
Oederan,
Germany.
He studied painting at the
Kraków School of Art and at the
Kraków Academy of Art under
Tadeusz Kantor. After graduating, he had several joint exhibitions, and held is first solo exhibition in
1967 at the
Krzysztofory Gallery in
Poland. In
1968 moved to the
Paris to continue his studies at the National School of Art.
Shortly aftwards he became fascinated by Latin American art and culture, spending a year painting and travelling around
Mexico. The experience lead him to take up sculpture.
He returned to Paris in
1974 and two years later he held another major solo exhibition at the
Gallery La Hune, including some sculptural work. The success of the show persuaded him that he was first and foremost a sculptor.
Having previously worked in
terracotta and
bronze, a trip to
Carrara,
Italy, in
1979 turned him to using marble as his primary medium and in
1983 he set up a studio in
Pietrasanta.
Mitoraj's sculptural style is heavily rooted in the
classical tradition with its focus on the well modelled torso. However, Mitoraj introduces a
post-modern twist with ostentatiously truncated limbs emphasising the damage sustained by most genuine classical sculptures.
*Biography at
continiarte.comImage:Igor Mitoraj Eros bendato 01.jpg|Eros Bendato (Eros Tied) (bronze), 1999, exhibition in Kraków,Poland, 2003 r.Image:Igor Mitoraj Eros bendato 02.jpg|Eros Bendato (Eros Tied) (bronze), 1999, exhibition in Kraków,Poland, 2003 r. Image:Igor Mitoraj Tyndareos screpolato.jpg|Tindaro screpolato (Tindaro Crushed) (bronze), 1998, exhibition in Kraków,Poland, 2003 r. Image:Igor Mitoraj Gambe Alate.jpg|Gambe Alate (bronze), 2002, exhibition in Kraków,Poland, 2003 r. Image:Igor_Mitoraj_TestaAddormentata.jpg|Testa Addormentata located in Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London 
