Portraits
The Pope
My arrival in the United States coincided with a great event that changed history. In October 1978, Karol Wojtyła was elected the Pope – the election of a humble priest from Poland not only had a wide echo in the farthest corners of our globe but also changed the lives of many emigrants. In the 1970s, Americans spoke unfavorably about our compatriots, and many jokes and sayings mocked our nation. The moment the news spread worldwide that John Paul II came from the country on the Vistula River, all eyes were turned towards the Poles. I felt I was witnessing a significant event – I decided to honor Wojtyła in my own way. I created one of my most famous works – a tapestry with the image of John Paul II.
Before this happened, I had to choose a photo representing his kindness. Since this was before the invention of the Internet, I went to the Polish church to get the best images. The priest provided me with photos, which I studied carefully. I couldn't decide, so I collaged the best shots. I dreamed the Pope himself would see my artwork. Reaching the Vatican is difficult – I had to think of something that would lead me to the Pope. I heard that John Paul II was planning a pilgrimage to the USA. I knew this was my unique chance to show him the portrait I had been working on for many arduous months. My dream was for the tapestry to hang in his bedroom so he could look at it right after waking up.
I went to Archbishop John Koda, thanks to whom the Pope was soon to speak to a crowd of over one and a half million people. At the age of 26, I didn’t look very mature. Everyone thought I was at least a few years younger, so predicting whether the Cardinal would take me seriously was difficult. Fortunately, he was interested in the project. He said he wanted the whole world to see it, not just the Pope. The portrait was displayed during the Pope’s pilgrimage to the United States in 1979 at the special celebration for the seventeen thousand Polish diaspora gathered in the parish of Five Holy Martyrs. I was in the sacristy when John Paul II immersed himself in prayer and reflection.
Television stations and newspapers in Detroit and Chicago broadcast news about my tapestry. One of the television stations organized an auction at which the tapestry was put up and sold. A Polish bank in Chicago made the purchase offer.
John Travolta
In the late 1970s, Americans became crazy for actor John Travolta. In December 1978, the unforgettable Saturday Night Fever was released – a production which, accompanied by modern music, touched upon modern topics. The crowds that occupied the ticket windows went wild for the main character, and Travolta became a megastar in the blink of an eye. His Italian gigolo walking style, sense of rhythm, and perfect appearance made everyone imitate him overnight. Americans took inspiration from his dancing and the way he dressed and moved. I was stunned by his facial expressions, divine body, and the wonderful music in the film.
After leaving the screening, I felt an inner need to immortalize the actor’s perfect features in my tapestry. This idea paid off very well. One day, John’s business partner, Carushka, called me and asked if I wanted to sell my work. She was looking for a Christmas gift for an actor. A few days later, her team showed up at my studio. I stretched the tapestry on large frames to further increase its size. The workers added a massive bow, and the tapestry went straight into the hands of the Hollywood star. I don’t know if he liked the portrait. My curiosity was satisfied by his sister, who wrote in a letter that she was an art lover and loved various types of embroidery.
Mattie Stepanek
This tapestry is a portrait of the late Mattie Stepanek. A twelve-year-old who suffered from an incurable disease once gave me drawings of hearts. After he died, I felt an inner need to create a work with his likeness. A red line crosses the realistic hand-woven portrait: the line of life. I wanted the audience to discover the underside of this dramatic story, the depth of his beliefs.
Hearts surround Mattie’s face, which I wanted to reproduce perfectly. This tapestry has two layers: a realistic portrait and another layer woven on a fishing thread warp representing his poetic life. My style differs from others in that I mix wool and cotton with silk thread and transparent threads, which creates a vibration effect on a varied surface. Light has a lot of scope to highlight the work.
Family and Girls
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As Americans’ wealth and interest in natural materials in art grew, so did their interest in tapestry art and my hand-woven portraits. My commissions were mainly for family portraits in which I tried to present models in their everyday surroundings. My portraits were sensitive, showing the inner feelings of my subjects.
After making sketches and taking some photographs, I prepared monochromatic, real-size cartoons and pinned them onto a warped backdrop. I wove the portraits sideways so the warped texture would not distract from the woven face. My clients were impressed that the yarn for their faces was hand-dyed and that I used unraveled old sweaters for weaving.
Self-Portrait
I was a student in the sculpture department of the Fine Arts Academy. I wanted to use color and feel delicate, soft wool passing between my fingers. Knitting and crocheting were not enough.
I stretched linen warp onto an old bed frame, unraveled some sweaters, and used hundreds of natural skin tones. I took pictures of my head using a self-timer with the snake-like cable attached to my camera and developed the photos in my dark room. I decided the best angle to show my head in its three-dimensional form is from above. This way, I could concentrate on weaving the braids, which were fashionable in 1976. I was 24 years old, and while working on my self-portrait, I decided that tapestry weaving would be my life passion.
Our Lady of Częstochowa
The Our Lady of Częstochowa tapestry is about 2 feet taller than the original Byzantine-style tempera painting on Jasna Góra in Częstochowa. The colors are a little brighter than observed in the present condition of the painting.
My work is not a copy of the painting in a tapestry medium but a close interpretation. The tapestry evokes feelings similar to the original painting in Polish people. It took over half a year to weave the tapestry. It was woven sideways with wool, golden thread, and cotton warp. Teresa Wyszomirski commissioned the tapestry, which was later donated to Christ Cathedral in California.