In a world where paper has long lost the scent of printing ink and children’s imaginations increasingly drift toward the blue glow of screens, the art of Józef Wilkoń endures like an ancient oak—deeply rooted in tradition, yet still sprouting new shoots.

Born on October 12, 1930, in Bogucice, a village in southern Poland, Wilkoń has remained devoted to a single passion throughout his long life: storytelling through imagery. He is not merely an illustrator—he is a narrator who paints with a brush, a sculptor who finds warmth in raw wood, and one who uncovers rhythm and mystery in simple lines.

The Beginnings of the Story

In the years when Poland was rising from the ruins of war, a young Wilkoń absorbed the world not through dusty theory books but through vivid encounters with nature. Animals, birds, the wind sweeping over fields, the shade under trees—these were his first “textbooks.”
From 1947 to 1949, he attended the Secondary School of Fine Arts in Kraków. He is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (Faculty of Painting, degree in 1955) and also of Art History at the Jagiellonian University (degree in 1954).

Yet no university taught him what mattered most: attentiveness. This is what sets his work apart—an unhurried observation of life, where every animal has a soul and every child deserves a story told with love and respect.

Wilkoń has illustrated nearly two hundred books for both children and adults published in Poland, and dozens more released abroad. He has also worked in set design (Wilam Horzyca Theatre in Toruń, 1978) and designed tapestries (St. Wyspiański Cooperative in Kraków). Nature is the core inspiration for his art, especially animals, which since the 1980s have become the central characters in his work. Since the 1990s, he has also been creating “spatial illustrations”—wood-and-metal animal sculptures. His work has gained international acclaim and has been recognized with numerous awards both in Poland and worldwide.

Master of Illustration – Telling Stories Without Words

Over the decades, Wilkoń has created illustrations for more than 200 books published across the globe. His images for La Fontaine’s fables, Perrault’s Puss in Boots, Kipling’s The Jungle Book, or Mickiewicz’s Pan Tadeusz are more than just visual accompaniments—they are parallel worlds where characters live lives full of emotion, gesture, and gaze.

He doesn’t simply draw—he paints emotion. His technique is often a dialogue between ink and watercolor, between brushstroke and the breath of paper. His lines are alive: sometimes wild, sometimes gentle, as if he were speaking directly to the character he has just summoned from the blank page.

Yet it’s not only about technique. It’s about intuition and instinct—as though the artist were an animal moving through the thicket of stories, sensing the heartbeat beneath the skin of a fable.

Wilkoń the Sculptor

When Wilkoń began sculpting in the 1990s, many were surprised. An illustrator? But he merely carried his poetic sensibility from the flat page into three dimensions. In his monumental yet subtle wooden animals—wolves, cats, bears, fish—there is nothing ornamental. They seem like the spirits of ancient beasts—calm, silent, observing humans with gentle irony and compassion.

Whether in a park, gallery, or public space, Wilkoń doesn’t just place sculptures—he brings them to life. His Wilkoń’s Zoo, exhibited in cities such as Warsaw, Katowice, Bydgoszcz, and Sandomierz, offers an immersive experience where children and adults meet Nature with a capital “N”—symbolic, archetypal, and yet strikingly contemporary.

Wilkoń’s Style – Between the Forest and the Fable

Wilkoń is an artist who has never severed his roots—not from the countryside, nor from childhood, nor from the quiet of nature. His works often evoke the spirit of Japanese haiku: simple, restrained, yet deeply contemplative. The animals in his paintings and sculptures are soulful, but never sentimental. They can be funny, fearsome, melancholic. They are close to humans, but not human themselves—their gaze reminds us who we were before we learned to speak.

His is a style imbued with a deep awareness of nature—not “friendly” in a childish way, but wild, untamed, beautiful in its primal rhythm.

Legacy and Continuance

Wilkoń has received nearly every major award in the field of illustration—from the Premio Grafico in Bologna to the Gold Medal in Leipzig, and international recognition from IBBY. But it is not awards that define his greatness. His greatness lies in a lifelong devotion to children and animals—those without a voice, but not without a soul.

In September 2022, the City Council adopted a resolution to create a municipal cultural institution called the Józef Wilkoń Museum of Contemporary Art in Piaseczno.

He continues to create—with the same passion and gentleness, despite his age. In his face—bearded, thoughtful, serene—there is something of a sage, and something of a child. And in his hands still dwell the forest, the meadow, the wolf, and the shadow of an owl.

Major Exhibitions

• 1960
  Painting, Graphics, and Illustration Exhibition – Warsaw
• 1961
  Painting, Graphics, and Illustration Exhibition – Vienna
• 1968
  Book Graphics Exhibition – Lublin, Chełm, Toruń
• 1969
  Book Graphics Exhibition – Manchester
• 1970
  Graphics and Illustration Exhibition – Warsaw
• 1971
  Illustration Exhibition – Berlin
• 1973
  Illustration Exhibition – Cologne
• 1975
  Graphics and Book Illustration Exhibition – Słupsk
• 1976
  Graphics and Illustration Exhibition – Rzeszów, Chicago
• 1979
  Graphics and Illustration Exhibition – Białystok, Kalisz, Toruń
• 1980
  Book Graphics and Illustration Exhibition – Katowice
• 1988
  Illustration Exhibition: 30 Years of Creative Work – Puławy, Warsaw
• 1989
  Illustration Exhibition – Paris
• 1990
  Illustrations for Pan Tadeusz by Adam Mickiewicz – Studies from 1963–1970 – Warsaw
• 1991
  Illustration Exhibition – Offenbach
• 1992
  Illustrations from the Bohem Press Collection – Warsaw
• 1993
  Józef Wilkoń – Children’s Book Illustrations – Aachen
• 1994
  Józef Wilkoń – Children’s Book Illustrations – Bochum, Lüdenscheid, Viersen, Augsburg, Dortmund
• 1995
  Complete Works Exhibition – Olsztyn, Zielona Góra, Bratislava
• 1996
  Wilkoń’s Menagerie – Munich, Germany
• 1997
  40 Years of Artistic Work – Warsaw
• 1998
  Concert for Małgosia Exhibition – Kozienice, Kraków
• 2000
  Illustration Exhibition – Toyama, Aki, Bunsen (Japan)
• 2002
  Animal Kingdom Exhibition – Pomeranian Library, Szczecin
• 2004
  Exhibition of Józef Wilkoń’s Work – Macerata, Italy
• 2005
  Illustration Exhibition – Belluno, Italy
  Exhibition – Tokyo, Japan
  Fish and Horses – a Small Display – Schody Gallery, Warsaw
  Image and Word Exhibition – Vilnius, Lithuania
  Book Workshop – Taipei, Taiwan
• 2006
  In Soplicowo… in Wilanów – SD Gallery, Wilanów, Warsaw
  Wilkoń’s Bestiary – Olsztyn
  Exhibition – Urawa Art Museum, Tokyo
  Wilkoń’s Ark – Zachęta Gallery, Warsaw
• 2007
  Nine Beasts and an Angel – Rome, Italy
  Encounters with Art – Radziejowice
• 2008
  The World of Wilkoń – Bielsko-Biała
  Wilkoniada – Warsaw
  Wilkoń’s Ark – Białystok
• 2009
  The Rhino’s Snout – Łódź
  Youth Library Exhibition – Munich
  Illustration and Sculpture Exhibition – Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski
  Wilkoń – Rzeszów
  Meow Meow Kitty – Gdynia
  Bestiary – Częstochowa
  Wilkoń in Bielany – Warsaw
  The World of Wilkoń – Skierniewice
  Group Exhibition: Mermaid for Warsaw
  IV Baltic Illustrators’ Meeting: Józef Wilkoń – Gdańsk
  Group Exhibition: Doctor Dolittle and Others. Polish Masters of Children’s Illustration – Warsaw
• 2010
  Exhibition at the 9th Children’s and Youth Book Fair – Poznań
  Józef Wilkoń and His Animals – Gallery 31, Lublin
  Józef Wilkoń: Self-Views – BWA Gallery, Skierniewice
  Józef Wilkoń – Warsaw Book Fair, Palace of Culture and Science
  Józef Wilkoń: Sculpture, Painting, Drawing – Jan Tarasin Art Gallery, Kalisz
  Wilkoń Retrospective – Zacisze Cultural Center
• 2011
  Illustrations and Spatial Objects – Municipal Art Gallery, Chorzów
  Master Wilkoń’s Werewolves – Baj Theater, Warsaw
  Fish, Birds, Mammals, and Other Werewolves – Lubusz Land Museum, Zielona Góra
  Sculpture and Illustration Exhibition – Uściąż
  Water Techniques – Schody Gallery, Warsaw
  Wilkoń Finally in Our Town – Piaseczno
  Józef Wilkoń – Podkowa Leśna
  Don Quixote. Journey to Płock – Płock Art Gallery
  Painting, Illustration, and Spatial Sculpture – Public Library, Łańcut
• 2012
  Don Quixote by Józef Wilkoń – Journey to Bełchatów – Regional Museum, Bełchatów
• 2013
  Pegasus – Logo for the Piaseczno Cultural Center – Sketches and Studies
  Birds, Fish, Mammals and Other Werewolves – Grudziądz Museum
  Wilkons – House of the Artist, Warsaw
  Fish, Mammals, Werewolves – National Museum, Przemyśl
  Wilkoń Returns to Tarnów – BWA Gallery, Tarnów
  Wilkoń’s Ark – Ostróda
  Exhibition at the 11th Warsaw Art Fair – Kubicki Arcades, Royal Castle
• 2014
  Birds, Fish, Mammals and Other Werewolves – Rondo Sztuki, Academy of Fine Arts, Katowice
  The Wonderful World of Józef Wilkoń – Kunsthaus Museen Stade, Germany
  Sculpture Exhibition – Pułaski Museum, Warka
  Senses of Art – Royal Palace in Wilanów
• 2015
  Wilkoniada – Olympic Center, Warsaw
• 2016
  Józef Wilkoń – Sculptures and Works on Paper – Gallery of Contemporary Sacred Art “Dom Praczki,” Kielce
  Don Quixote by Józef Wilkoń – House of Words, Lublin
  The Imaginarium of Józef Wilkoń – Cultural Center, Wieliczka
• 2017
  Józef Wilkoń. Don Quixote – Opera Gallery, National Opera, Warsaw
• 2018
  Józef Wilkoń. Handmade – from the series Masters of Illustration – Museum of Caricature, Warsaw
  Wilkoń and Us – Kobro Gallery, Academy of Fine Arts, Łódź
  The Fantastic World of Józef Wilkoń – BWA Brewery, Włocławek
• 2019
  The Nude in Józef Wilkoń’s Painting – Creative Work House, Radziejowice
  Józef Wilkoń: Children’s Book Illustration – Na Prosta Gallery, Jabłonna
  Don Quixote’s Journey to Skierniewice – BWA Gallery, Skierniewice
  Józef Wilkoń’s Art in Japan – APS Gallery, Warsaw
  Józef Wilkoń in Japan – Botanical Garden, Powsin
  Pan Tadeusz Illustrated by Józef Wilkoń – Dzików Castle, Tarnobrzeg
  Caroling with Józef Wilkoń – Służewski Cultural Center, Warsaw
• 2021
  Royal Animal Kingdom. Wilkoń at Wawel – Wawel Royal Castle, Kraków
  Pan Tadeusz Illustrations – Pan Tadeusz Museum (Ossolineum), Wrocław
• 2023
  Józef Wilkoń: Painting, Sculpture, Illustration – PROM Kultury Saska Kępa, Warsaw
  Christmas with Józef Wilkoń – Ursynów Culture Center “Alternatywy,” Warsaw
  Birds – Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
  Honey Mushrooms – OKej Cultural Center, Brwinów
  To the Books! Szancer, Wilkoń, Salamon, Bartosik, Tarczewska – Regional Museum in Konin
• 2024
  The Bear in Radziejowice – New House of Art, Radziejowice Palace
  Józef Wilkoń’s Birthday Exhibition – Gallery of Graphic and Poster Art, Warsaw
  White Gold. Józef Wilkoń – Living Porcelain Museum, Ćmielów
  Wilkoń’s Herds and Peacocks – Orangery, Jabłonna Palace
  Józef Wilkoń: Don Quixote – PROM Kultury Saska Kępa, Warsaw
• 2025
  Jubilee Exhibition – Radziejowice Palace
  Two Friends – Warsaw Public Library, Koszykowa 26/28