Maciej Jędrysik is a Polish graphic artist and illustrator, regarded as one of the creators who have consistently developed the tradition of authorial illustration and artistic printmaking in Poland. He was born in the second half of the twentieth century. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Faculty of Graphic Arts, where he acquired a strong technical foundation in drawing, printmaking, and graphic design.
He is professionally affiliated with his alma mater as well, having been—and continuing to be—engaged in teaching, educating successive generations of graphic designers and illustrators. Alongside his academic work, he has collaborated from the beginning of his artistic career with publishing houses, cultural institutions, and art galleries.
His practice unfolds at the intersection of book illustration, autonomous graphic art, and drawing. His works circulate both within the publishing world and in exhibition contexts.
The work of Maciej Jędrysik is distinguished by a clearly recognizable, authorial visual language rooted in drawing and printmaking as primary means of expression. He employs an economy of form, a consciously limited range of formal devices, and a precise—often ascetic—line.
Metaphor and symbol occupy a central place in his work. Jędrysik avoids literalness: the image does not directly illustrate the text but interprets it, constructing a parallel, autonomous visual narrative. His illustrations are contemplative in character, frequently operating through silence, pause, and tension between form and meaning.
His thematic interests include existential, literary, and philosophical issues. His work reveals inspirations drawn from modernism, expressionism, and the tradition of twentieth-century European graphic art. Of particular importance are the relationship between black and white, the rhythm of composition, and the deliberate use of empty space within the frame.
Book illustration constitutes one of the most important and recognizable areas of Maciej Jędrysik’s artistic activity. He has collaborated with leading Polish publishing houses, creating illustrations for classical, modernist, and contemporary literature. His illustrations are conceived as integral components of the book, co-creating its rhythm, atmosphere, and meaning.
Among the most significant publications illustrated by Maciej Jędrysik are:
The Cinnamon Shops – Bruno Schulz
Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass – Bruno Schulz
The Trial – Franz Kafka
The Castle – Franz Kafka
Short Stories – Edgar Allan Poe (selected editions)
volumes of Polish and international poetry
essayistic and literary publications of an artistic character
In his work with modernist and existential literature, Jędrysik constructs images of strong emotional intensity, using deformation, visual reduction, and metaphor. His illustrations often function as cycles—coherent both narratively and formally.
Alongside his illustrative work, Maciej Jędrysik creates autonomous graphic and drawing cycles. These have been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Poland and abroad. The works function as independent artworks, often inspired by literature, music, and philosophical reflection.
His prints and drawings are held in private and institutional collections.
An important component of Maciej Jędrysik’s professional career is his pedagogical work at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. As a lecturer and mentor, he imparts not only technical skills but also a reflective approach to illustration and graphic art as autonomous artistic disciplines.
Maciej Jędrysik is a laureate and participant in prestigious competitions and exhibitions of graphic art and illustration. His works have received awards and distinctions in national competitions and have been presented at international exhibitions of graphic art and illustration.
He is highly regarded both as a book illustrator and as a creator of autonomous graphic works.
The artistic output of Maciej Jędrysik belongs to the tradition of authorial illustration and reflective graphic art. His works are characterized by a high artistic standard, stylistic consistency, and an ability to engage in dialogue with both text and viewer. He is considered one of the important representatives of contemporary Polish illustration and artistic printmaking.
