1950 Born in Gdañsk, Poland
1971-76 Sculpture studies at the State University of Fine Arts in Gdañsk, Poland with Professor A. Wisniewski and Professor A. Smolana
since 1976 Freelance artist
since 1981 Living and working in Hamburg.
“My artistic considerations have concentrated upon exploring wood as a material and upon understanding its structure and its core. The question, to which extent is it legitimate to influence the material by means of intervention without interfering with its identity, has
accompanied my work and will continue to accompany my work.”
Dr. Christina Weiss, State Minister for Cultural and Media Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany.
"At first sight you tend to describe Jan de Weryha as a late European representative of the Minimal Art. But as soon as you take a closer look it gets clear that Jan de Weryha has demands which are extremely contrary to the Minimal Art. His creative activity is mainly focused on the nature and the natural structure of the material. With his works the natural basis meets the rational will of designing. He again admits the pure form of the Minimal Art in double respects. For example, instead of avoiding the individual processing traces of the wood through industrial production he completely puts it to the center of attention."
Dr. Daniel Spanke, Director of the Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven, quotation from the text: “Strictly wood. Contemporary wood sculpture in a field of tension between order and organics,” 2002:
“In the field of tension between minimalistic and ornamental effect, Jan de Weryha-Wysoczañski composes his works by forming large wooden-slab objects made from different coloured woods. In his works he contrasts a playful handling of materials with the monumentality and strength emanating from pieces of wood which have in part been left rough and still covered with bark, in a highly impressive manner. The artist sets his creative fantasy against the pathos of the archaic materials, arising from the characteristics of the wood itself. In this manner, his objects are often similar to libraries of different types of wood, where the individual nature of each element appears to combine to form a harmonious whole whilst the individuality is still retained.”
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