Franciszek Bunsch, Ophelia, Woodcut on Paper, 2004

FRANCISZEK BUNSCH (born in 1926)
A classic of Polish printing, the artist has participated in national and regional exhibitions and in exhibitions of Polish graphics abroad, including: Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Venezuela, Uruguay, Mexico, France, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Canada , Switzerland, Turkey, Japan, Finland, Algeria, Tunisia, USA, Iceland, Spain, Germany, Cuba and Hungary.
He also participated in numerous international exhibitions, including the International Biennial of Graphics in Krakow 1966-1988, the Small Graphic Forms exhibition in Łódź, the CUPRUM Lublin Graphics Biennial and the International Biennial of Small Graphic Forms and Bookplates in Ostrów Wielkopolski. He is the winner of many awards and distinctions.

Bunsch has studied painting under the guidance of prof. Eugeniusz Eibisch and graphic art as a student of prof. Andrzej Jurkiewicz, prof. Ludwik Gardowski and prof. Konrad Srzednicki at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow. Then he continued his education at the Akademie Výtvarných Um?ní in Prague for two years. Between 1952 and 1965 he was an assistant to prof. Ludwik Gardowski in the studio of wood engraving at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow. After prof. Gardowski retirement he became the head of the studio which he managed until 1996. In the meantime, in 1990 he was awarded with the title of a full professor. At the Academy he had different programme and organizational duties. He was the Vice Rector twice in the years 1972-1975 and 1984-1987.