Biography

Maciej Świeszewski - born in Sopot in 1950. Between 1969 and 1975 student of Faculty of Painting at High School of Art in Gdańsk in prof. Jacek Żuławski's class. The year of 1974 he spent in New York, experiencing and absorbing the atmosphere of development of the contemporary world art. He graduates the High School with magna cum laude in 1976. After that he starts working as an assistant first to prof. Maksymilian Kasprowicz, then to prof. Jerzy Zabłocki. In 1982 with a British Council  scholarship he travels to London. The capital city of Great Britain becomes a source of deep experience both intelectual and artistic. He meets many esteemed artists of Polish Emigration and others, with Francis Bacon among them, as well. In 1984 he travels to Paris, where he works on the renovation of masterpieces of great French 19th century painters exhibited in Louvre. He meets great Polish artists, Józef Czapski and Jan Lebestein. In 1990 invited by Günter Grass, Maciej Świeszewski becomes a member of the Board of Daniel Chodowiecki Foundation in Akademie der Künste in Berlin. In years 1990-1993 he holds the position of a Dean of a Faculty of Painting and Graphics at Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. In 1994 he gets a professorship. In 1997 he becomes a vicepresident of The Friends of Fine Arts Society Zachęta. Since 1999 he has been working in Programme Council at National Gallery of Fine Arts in Sopot. In 2000 he gets a title of full professor. All his life Maciej Świeszewski is bound with Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. For many years he has been running the Department of Painting and his students keep getting international awards.

All his life, from early childhood he kept painting, drawing, sketching. In his art he goes back to European roots, especially to Flemish masters and Titian. Out of Polish masters he values especially Balthus, Jacek Malczewski, Bronisław Linke, Leon Chwistek, Stanisław Witkiewicz "Witkacy" and Tadeusz Kantor.

His works of art were presented all over the world during inividual and group exhibitions in Belgium, China, RSA, USA, Ukraine just to name a few. For last years he had been living and creating in Sopot and Gdańsk. He is a laureate of many Polish and international awards.

Since early teens, that he had spent with his parents in Cuba, he loves travelling. He has visited all continents. Literature, philosophy and music are his passions as well. Maciej Świeszewski is married and is father of three children.