Czesława Gałązka

The indefatigable Czesława Gałązka

Her designs could be easily used to design an original, elaborate wedding dress. She not only knits and embroiders some traditional patterns, but also bags or hats. She used to use 11 kilometres of thread for one of the orders. Her first work was an embroidered Angel which she has kept to this day. Ms Czesława Gałązka comes from Wach, she learned handicraft from her mother, as the only one of the sisters. Now, in her retirement, she can devote more time to what she likes to do most.

She usually crochets and creates beautiful tablecloths, doilies, but also Christmas decorations, like angels, bells and stars. She can recreate probably all natural flowers from crepe-paper: tiger lilies, roses, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, poppies, cornflowers, asters, snowdrops… – For me, being a folk artist is connected with a mission to continue what our parents did, and to pass it on to the next generation, says the Kadzidło resident. It is beautiful, I love it – she says in an interview for Kurier Ostrołęcki.

She is extremely hardworking: she amazes us with the amount of lace tablecloths, doilies, hats, paper trinkets, nature-imitating flowers that she has in her home studio. But not everything is for sale. The beautiful lace tablecloths have been crocheted for each of their children and grandchildren as a keepsake. She does something all the time, even when she was staying in a sanatorium she could not give it up even for a moment.

She says nothing is impossible – you just need to really want it and you can learn anything. Everything she has achieved is thanks to her hard work. When she was still working, she would crochet in the evenings and at nights to earn some extra money. She showed her works abroad as well, in the countries like England, Belgium, the US, Romania, USSR, Yugoslavia and Hungary). During her stay in the United States, she worked with a Polish parish school by holding creative workshops. – I got into it, I love it, it calms me – she explains with a smile.

She filled the gallery she created near her house a few years ago with all of her works: flowers, crochet trinkets, kierce. She is active in schools, holding classes of Kurpie handicraft for children and teenagers, for which she has been thanked many times. Apart from educational institution, the Kurpie Cultural Centre in Kadzidło appreciated and honoured the artist for the workshops.

She can also bake a delicious Kurpie rejbak too.