Stanisław Szukalski

Stanisław Szukalski (born in 1893 in Warta near Sieradz, died in 1987 in Los Angeles) - sculptor, painter, draftsman, designer, theorist, leader of the Horned Heart Strain. One of the most daring figures in Polish art of the interwar period. In 1907, he emigrated with his family to the United States, where at the age of 13 he began studying at the Art Institute of Chicago. He attracted the attention of his surroundings with his sculptural talent, which is why at the age of 15, by the decision of his father, he was sent to the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. He studied there under Konstanty Laszczka as an extraordinary student: in 1910 he won the first prize for sculpture. Due to his rebellious attitude, he was suspended as a student, but with the consent of Jacek Malczewski, he was allowed to use his studio. He returned to Laszczka's studio after an official apology. In 1912, he exhibited his sculptures for the first time at the Palace of Arts in Krakow.

He returned to the Chicago Art Institute in 1913, where he made bronze sculptures and met many influential figures from the American artistic world. However, it was the 1920s that turned out to be the best period for the artist for his creative work: in 1923 he wrote the monograph "The Work of Szukalski", and in Poland his individual exhibition took place at Zachęta. Szukalski's sculptures were described as "impressionistic", "daring", "anti-natural", "Egyptian", "Mexican". In 1925, at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative Art in Paris, the artist won the Grand Prix for bronzes, an Honorary Diploma for architectural designs and a Gold Medal for stone sculpture. In 1929, Szukalski convened Szczep Szukalszczyk heralded in Krakow and published his own artistic philosophy in his magazine "Krak" and emphasized the role of Polishness in the life of the nation. In the 1930s, he carried out numerous artistic and publishing projects in the United States and Poland.

In 1939, as an American citizen, he managed to escape to the USA. In Los Angeles, he befriended the family of George DiCaprio, Leonardo DiCaprio's father. From 1940, Szukalski explored the prehistoric mysteries of mankind: he was especially interested in the formation of languages, cultures and symbols. He created the concept of "Macimowy" and the theory of Zermatism, according to which people all over the world come from the Easter Islands, and the ancestors of Poles came to the present areas from Zermatt in Switzerland.

After World War II, the artist's financial situation deteriorated dramatically: Szukalski fell into a depressive state, suffering from a lack of interest from his compatriots and the rest of the world. He died in 1987 in the hospital of a stroke. The ashes of the artist and his wife were scattered on Easter Island.

In 2018, the documentary "Fight: Life and Lost Works of Stanisław Szukalski" was produced, directed by Ireneusz Dobrowolski, co-produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.