Aleksander Żyw

Aleksander Zyw (29 August 1905 – 17 September 1995)[1] was a Polish artist who lived and created especially in France, United Kingdom and Italy.

And as he struggled for self-expression he produced a series of paintings featuring puppets and lay figures, symbols of helplessness and inability in the face of evil powers.

This period did not last long however, and his travels back to Paris and discovery of Paul Klee had a direct influence on his art, and reminded him that painting was a positive and good creative effort, rather than purely an emotional outlet.

In the 1950s, Żyw visited the Venice Bienniale and spent time in Desenzano del Garda where he exhibited and also met the poet Gino Benedetti, who was a great friend and wrote about his painting.

By 1970 Aleksander and Leslie Żyw had moved to Tuscany, Italy, where Zyw split his time between painting and olive farming.

Here Żyw returned to nature, focusing his efforts on the intimate details of certain objects, including the gnarled carcass of an olive tree.

[3] The most notable publication which features Aleksander Zyw is written by Douglas Hall, and is entitled Art in Exile, Polish Painters in Post-War Britain (2008).