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Rafal Olbinski, 1945 | Surrealist / Visionary painter

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"In front of a painting, as in front of a beautiful woman, one must revel in wonder" - Rafal Olbinski*.

- "Poetic humor is a quality rarely found in the fine arts" - says Andre Parinuad, President of the International Arts Salon in Paris.
- "Rafal Olbinski has this gift.He wants to show us that our imagination is a magical world, which we are recreating forever. He draws us into a different universe, and forces us to use our eyes to participate in a marvelous world which is the true dimension of dreams".
For biographical notes -in english and italian- and other works by Olbinski see:







  • " Rafal Olbinski*’s art is an extraordinary testament to integrity, spirit and adventure. Technically masterful, emotionally complete, his is one of the brilliant visions today in any art form" - Richard Burgin, Founder and Editor of the award-winning literary journal Boulevard
  • "Rafal Olbinski* proves that although as a medium it may have one foot in the past, it’s other is firmly placed in the present, if not the future" - Steve Heller, A Senior Art Director of The New York Times
  • "May it be fine art, poster or illustration, through contradiction, absurdity and the banal, truth resides. This is where Rafal Olbinski*’s contributions are realized. He explores the hidden properties of his subject matter which results in poetic compositions that encompass a great stillness. It is this very experience which nourishes. It is no accident that the power of his imagery touches most everyone. By not being restricted exclusively to gallery exhibitions, Rafal’s work has impacted throughout the world.  His posters and paintings are a testament to raising the conciousness of a world starved for new impressions" - Richard Wilde, Chairman, Graphic Design and Advertising, School of Visual Arts, New York
  • "For most artists, developing their technique through constant daily excercise, study and training will bring about mastery to a certain level, but it is impossible for an artist of ordinary talent to keep going on using creative motifs in the work all of the time. However, in Olbinski’*s case, I cannot help but be astonished by his brimming creative power and equally high level of technique" - Minoru Takita, Editorial Director of Idea Magazine, Tokyo
  • "Olbinski* is a painter-poet who presents the image of our world while producing broader reflections. One has t be a poet to speak with humor and without grandiloquence about the seriousness of certain phenomenons in our society" - Anne-Julie Belmont, Universe Des Arts, Paris
  • "Poetry in color, Olbinski’s paintings are expansive, eerily peaceful; there solitude encounters the unexpected-the absurd that is meaningful. Sadness edged by seeming contradictions resolves into a haven of paradox. But the artist will not let himself be categorized, insisting on having the last laugh. And when Olbinski’s humor erupts, it shatters the night sky like a bolt of lightning" - Frank Fox, From the cover story of ‘The World and I’, the publication of the Washington Times








































































Rafał Olbiński è un artista Polacco⏭ dai tanti talenti - pittore, grafico, disegnatore di poster, illustratore, scenografo, designer.
I quadri di Rafal Olbiński appartengono al genere surrealista⏭. Nelle sue opere l’artista crea un mondo pieno di insolite metafore, sogni e segreti. Olbiński è nato nel 1943 a Kielce.
Nel 1969 ha terminato gli studi presso il Politecnico di Varsavia, alla facoltà di Architettura. Successivamente ha iniziato ad occuparsi di grafica, lavorando in qualità di redattore grafico della rivista "Jazz Forum".
Nel 1981 è emigrato a New York, dove presto è stato riconosciuto come un brillante pittore ed illustratore.
Dal 1985 insegna alla School of Visual Arts di New York. Molti dei suoi quadri e delle sue grafiche si possono trovare in riviste quali: "Time", "Der Spiegel", "The New York Times" e "Newsweek".
Per alcuni anni ha anche elaborato le copertine per la rivista "Charaktery" ed ha progettato alcune copertine di dischi, e.s. per Krzysztof Klenczon o per il gruppo Breakout.
I suoi quadri si trovano in numerose gallerie e musei in tutto il mondo (New York, Washington, Toyama o Osaka), fanno anche parte di collezioni private in tutto il mondo.
Olbiński ha vinto oltre 10 premi per la sua attività artistica, quadri e poster.
Ha ricevuto:

  • l’Oscar dell’Arte per il Poster più importante dell’anno al concorso "Prix Savignac" a Parigi (1994),
  • il primo premio nel concorso dell’Istituto Internazionale dei Diritti Umani,
  • la medaglia d’oro Gloria Artist (2006)
  • e Krzyż Oficerski Orderu Odrodzenia Polski (2012) a riconoscimento dei suoi straordinari meriti per la cultura polacca e mondiale nonché la sua attività artistica.

 Attualmente Olbiński vive e lavora negli Stati Uniti.