Michał Drężek

Small and large forms

One of his ‘biggest’ creations is an impressive, 2.8m high Angel with a globe, ordered by private individuals in the intention of their happy travels. Michał Drężek has been sculpting since childhood. His father was a Carpenter and grandfather was a woodcutter, so the future artist was exposed to wood processing on a daily basis, since he was born. He is self-taught. He is one of the youngest Kurpie artists – he is not yet forty. He carves perfectly. The sculptures that he authored – ST. Florian and Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński – can be found in the main altar of the historic church in Lelis. He is being invited to lectures and workshops in regional schools as well as other sculpting workshops.

At the beginning of his more serious creative work, Michał was inspired by the sculptures of Józef Bacławski, a well-known Kurpie artist. At the beginning he was afraid that the master would treat the inexperienced apprentice as his competition. He was concerned about meeting him, but Józef Bacławski visited him himself, appreciating the artistry of his younger colleague.

He eagerly takes up the sacral topics. Most often he sculpts Sorrowful Jesus, Pieta, the saints, Angels, biblical scenes (e.g. the entry of the Christ into Jerusalem). He likes the large forms. The nature and secular themes can also be found in his work – like other carvers in the region, he sculpts the Kurps characters dressed in traditional costumes. He creates either outdoors, in the summertime, or in the barn if his work requires space, because the smaller forms are being worked on at home. He participates in numerous exhibitions, fairs and reviews: in Myszyniec, Ostrołęka, Nowogród, Warszawa, Białystok. He appears at the ‘Endangered Professions’ workshop annually, where hi transfers his skills.

In addition to sculpting Michał also creates Easter Palms which appear at the competition in Łyse. He wittily says that one a year ‘palma mu odbija’ [idiom which means that he goes ‘mad’]. The longest Easter Palm, made in 2008 from two pine trees and carried by five strong men, measured 16m! his work on it took over two weeks and was spun by the whole family: his wife and both parents with whom Michał Drężek lives. He won the first place then.

He combines being the sculptor with beekeeping as well as his ‘normal’ job at the JBB meat factory in Łyse nearby. He probably has the biggest apiary in Łyse municipality. Apart from the ‘standard’ honey types like lime or flower honey only at his place you can get, for example, the raspberry and crumb honey. A few of the hives in his apiary are also sculpted – the clog hives with a relief, for example, shows St. Ambrose – the patron of beekeepers. He has been engaged in beekeeping for 21 years. He says that the honey gives him youth.

He exudes humour, which is quite inadequate to the expression of serious sculptures, with a large expression of suffering, seriousness and sadness. Michał himself is the opposite of them. When with people, the charismatic artist, apart from a dose of honey and a dose of art, applies a dose of positive energy. He is easy to manage during various photo shoots. Having two brothers who are photographers, he is well accustomed to posing to photos. The artistic level of his sculptural creations proves that you can successfully combine various aspects of life, not only the artistic ones. He is the winner of numerous sculpting competitions.