Tomasz Jerzy Vetulani | |
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Born | 21 December 1965 Kraków |
Nationality | Polish |
Education | Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts |
Tomasz Jerzy Vetulani (born 21 December 1965 in Kraków) is a Polish artist, plastic, painter, drawer and sculptor, who is also a citizen of Netherlands.
He was born in 1965 in Kraków as the second son of Jerzy and Maria Vetulani, younger brother of Marek. He was baptized by bishop Karol Wojtyła, who was a friend of his family. He attended Witkowski High School and in 1991 graduated from Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, receiving a diploma in the studio of Juliusz Joniak. In 1990 he went to lsrael for two terms to study at the University of Haifa. In 1992–93 he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent with a scholarship from the Flemish Community of Belgium and the Minister of Culture of Poland. In 1994 he was among awarded at the XXXIst National Painting Exhibition Bielska Jesień organised by Galeria BWA. In the mid-1990s he emigrated to the Netherlands, where he has since been living and working. He has three children.
In his painting, among other techniques, Vetulani often uses sketch and watercolour, he works with oil paint and silicone, sometimes adding old photographs to paintings and collages. Interviewed in 1998, he said that he likes working on sponge "because it's a simple, light material and always ready to use. The colour and texture meet my aesthetic requirements and it has a lot of volume and physically, is very present in the space. The ink or paint is immediately absorbed into the foam surface, making any corrections almost impossible. It is a material which lends itself to quick, fast application and is particularly good for spontaneous sketching with paint squeezed directly from the tube. The fact that these works will not last (sponge is not a very durable material) does not deter me; it suits the character of the work very well and to an extent reflects my ideas about art". Despite being an atheist he doesn't reject Christian tradition influence. He looks for an inspiration in religion themes and architecture, as well as in the surrounding nature and Dutch landscape.