POLSKI 
KONTRAST 
Halina Pajka – the master of small and big form
Halina Pajka made her openwork, elaborate paper curtains for people such as Magda Gessler. Her cut-outs were presented on the exhibitions in Polish Sejm and Senate, as well as on expositions in Sweden, Mexico and Cameroon. Her infectious optimism is reflected in the multi-coloured pieces of art she makes – from miniature stars and forms in the natural sizes – stars and lilies, to the enormous cut-out nativity scenes and the figures of saints. The artist finds herself also in other creative fields.
She is a daughter of Stanisława Prusaczyk, a famous cut-out artist, and she got her creative skills from her home. Her father, Stanisław Prusaczyk was one of the founders of the “Kurpianka” Folk Crafts and Artistic Handicraft Cooperative. Halina started to work there in 1968 as a weaver.
Her flowers – some of them rolled traditionally, others inspired by the flowers appearing in nature, are characterised by the exceptional precision and attention to detail, as is the case with her embroidered tablecloths or crocheted serviettes. The largest cut-outs she had ever created (lilies), which decorated the scene during the Union of Kurpie Presidential award ceremony, were 3, 3,5 and 4 metres in height.
Halina can make everything with ease. She is one of the most active folk artists, who cannot be hindered by any obstacles, including her health.
The artist cooperates with the Kurpian Culture Museum in Ostrołęka and the Kurpian Farm in Kadzidło, where she holds workshops for children and youth. She is also involved in the annual regional events. Many times she represented the Kurpie region on Cepeliadas in Sopot, Krakow and Warsaw, as well as abroad – in Germany and in Sweden.
For her work and art she received many awards and distinctions, such as the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage distinction for her contributions to the Polish culture, the honorary diploma on the 65th anniversary of Cepelia for her contribution towards preservation of the heritage of Polish culture, and the Bronze Medal For Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis. In 2000 she received a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
