Krzysztof Zyśk

The Spirit that Never Fades

In his religious sculptures there is beauty, simplicity, depth and soulfulness. Works by Krzysztof Zyśk you not only view with pleasure, you contemplate them. Before beginning his work, the artist prays and asks the Holy Spirit for the required strength and inspiration. A few days before the artistic task, the man does not drink an alcohol and avoids any artificial stimulants. He never sculpts Devils, and what for? They represent evil powers, and so they should not be duplicated.

Krzysztof Zyśk comes from the Green Kurpie (Kurpie Zielone) region. He had the passion for sculpture ever since he was a child. It happened once and again, that he would steel a big knife from the kitchen in order to carve something out of wood in hiding. Quite a risky affair though, and more often than not he had to take his punishment for it. Krzysztof arrived in Warsaw for a very simple reason – “ to make a better living.” Here, he had completed a carpentry school and wanted to follow up with the high school level education in the speciality of cabinet making. It proved impossible due to his financial and family situation. He has never given up on the creative work though. He kept on making sculptures – when he moved to Warsaw, when he joined the army, when he finally matured and started his own family. His spirit has never faded and he has never lacked inspiration.

We have met the artist in a small workshop, which is a part of the building of a kindergarten. He does not have his own real workshop, although he has been dreaming about it for years. In front of the kindergarten there is a sculpture made by Krzysztof – the wooden Teddy Bear, and the kids love it. Inside the workshop an unfinished Christ on the cross awaits his turn together with an Angel reading a holy book. There is also the untouched, large log, which the deft hands of the artist, armed with the chisel, will soon be turning into a moving rendition of some Saint.

Krzysztof does share his gift with others. He has helped to preserve the historic little wooden shrines in Kurpie, helps to run the artistic workshops for young people, makes presentations in kindergartens, schools and museums. He takes interest in the work of various renown sculpture artists, and studies their technique. The artist participates in the open air artistic events. His sculptures can be seen not only in Poland, but also in different parts of the world.