Ewa Pachucka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ewa Pachucka
Ewa Pachucka, 2016
Born	Ewa Teresa Jaroszyńska (1936-02-17)17 February 1936 Lublin, Poland
Died	28 July 2020(2020-07-28) (aged 84) Castres, France
Nationality	Polish
Occupation	Sculptor
Known for	Crochet art
Notable work	Landscape and Bodies, 77
Parent(s)	Stanisław Jaroszyński and Lidia Marynowska

Ewa Pachucka (born Jaroszyńska) (17 February 1936 – 28 July 2020) was a talented sculptor from Poland who also lived in Australia. She was famous for her unique art, especially her large sculptures made by crocheting with rope.

Ewa Pachucka's Life and Art

Early Life and Education

Ewa Pachucka was born in Lublin, Poland, on February 17, 1936. She loved art from a young age. She studied visual art in Warsaw from 1952 to 1954. Later, she continued her studies in Lublin from 1954 to 1957.

She also attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź from 1957 to 1958. Łódź is a city known for its history in textile (fabric) making.

Finding Her Unique Style

While studying art, Ewa Pachucka was inspired by the abstraction movement. This was a new art style that used shapes and colors instead of realistic pictures. At the time, the main art style in Poland was called "Socialist Realism." This style showed realistic scenes, often about workers or heroes. Ewa Pachucka wanted to try something different.

She was influenced by a Polish artist named Jolanta Owidzka. Jolanta was known for her experimental textile art. Ewa Pachucka started to move away from painting and printmaking. She began to create sculptures and textile artworks.

She started experimenting with crocheting on a very large scale. She made big, three-dimensional artworks. She used strong string and rope made from hemp and jute. She bought these materials from a local fishermen's shop.

Moving to Australia

In 1969, Ewa Pachucka married Romek Pachucki. They first moved to Denmark. Then, in 1970, they moved to Australia. They first lived in Sydney. Later, in 1976, they moved to Hobart.

When Ewa Pachucka arrived in Australia, there was a new interest in fibre arts. This was a movement where artists used natural fibers to create art. Her large sculptures, made from natural materials like hemp and sisal, became very popular. She gained recognition in Australia, Europe, and the United States.

Her first art show in Australia was in 1972. It was at the Rudy Komon Gallery in Sydney. She sold almost all of her crocheted figures on display.

Her Artistic Approach

Ewa Pachucka once described her own art method. She said, "I build forms laboriously with a crochet hook." She found satisfaction in this detailed work. She felt it was special in a world where everything was becoming "instant."

Famous Artworks

Ewa Pachucka was the only female artist in a big exhibition in 1973. It was called Recent Australian Art at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. Her artwork, Landscape and Bodies (1972), was featured. The National Gallery of Australia bought this piece. It was later shown in their 2009 exhibition called Soft Sculpture.

One of her most important works is a large art installation. It is called Arcadia: Landscape and Bodies (1972–1977). She worked on it for four years. It was first shown in Sydney in 1977. Later, the Art Gallery of New South Wales bought it in 1978. An art critic called it "a remarkable tour de force," meaning it was an amazing achievement. In 2018, this artwork was displayed again at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

In 2010, Ewa Pachucka showed her art at an international festival in Krakow, Poland. She received an award there. The award was for her long-term creative achievements. It also recognized her daring and unique textile art. Her work inspired many young artists.

Later Life

Ewa Pachucka moved back to Europe in 2000. She passed away in France on July 28, 2020, in Castres.

Her work was also part of the "Know My Name" exhibition. This show was at the National Gallery of Australia from 2020 to 2021. It celebrated Australian women artists.

Public Artworks

Ewa Pachucka also created art for public spaces in Australia. These are called public art commissions.

In the 1980s, she completed a large sculpture called Roman Wall. This artwork was made for the Australian Archives building in Hobart in 1982. Today, you can find it at the University of Tasmania, Hobart.

In 1988, she was asked to create another big artwork. It was a 12.5-meter-long sandstone installation. It is called The Sun Calendar or Fossilized Architectural Landscape. This artwork is in the courtyard of the House of Representatives at the Parliament House of Australia in Canberra.

Exhibitions

• 1958 "Prints" Writers Park, Warsaw.
• 1968 Warsaw Festival of Arts Tapestry Exhibition, Warsaw.
• 1969 "Wall Hangings", Museum of Modern Art, New York.
• 1969 Norrkoping Museum, Norrkoping, Sweden.
• 1970 Crocheted forms, Grabowski Gallery, London.
• 1970 National Museum, Stockholm.
• 1970 Crocheted forms, Ved Aen Gallery, Arhus, Denmark.
• 1972 Ewa Pachucka, Landscape & bodies ’72, 9th September to 7th October 1972. Rudy Komon Gallery.
• 1972 Ewa Pachucka, crochet sculptures, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, TAS.
• 1973 Sculpturescape, Mildura Sculpture Trienniale, Mildura. April–July, 1973.
• 1973 Imprints in Paint, Rudy Komon Gallery, Sydney.
• 1973 Recent Australian Art, crocheted forms, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, October–November 1973.
• 1973 Contemporary Australian Painting and Sculpture, New Zealand tour, 1973.
• 1973 Cartlon Festival, Australian Council for the Arts and Victorian Ministry for the Arts, Victoria.
• 1973 Sculpture by Ewa Pachucka. Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, Launceston, TAS.
• 1974 Represented Australia in Triennale of Contemporary Art, New Delhi, India.
• 1974 World Crafts Council conference in Toronto, Canada.
• 1976 Twentieth Tasmanian Art Gallery Exhibition – Sculpture, June 1976.
• 1977 One person show, Landscape and Bodies 77, Arcadia, November – December 1977.
• 1977 Project 20: Fabric Art. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 3 September 1977 – 9 October 1977.
• 1978 Collection Pieces, National Gallery of Victoria, 1978.
• 1978 Survey 5: Ewa Pachucka. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, VIC.
• 1980 20 Years Jubilee Exhibition, Rudy Komon Art Gallery, Sydney, 8 December 1979.
• 1981 The Art Fabric, Mainstream. Museum of Modern Art, NY, USA.
• 1981–1983 American Federation of Arts Touring America.
• 1984 Fantastic Fabrics, Lake Macquarie Gallery.
• 1990 A Free Hand. Powerhouse Museum, New South Wales.
• 1995 National Women's Art Exhibition. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 8 March 1995 – 8 June 1995.
• 1995 Colonial Pastime to Contemporary Profession: 150 years of Australian Women's Art. Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart, Tas. 8 March 1995 – July 1995.
• 2009 Soft Sculpture. National Gallery of Australia. 24 April – 12 July 2009.
• 2010 3rd International Art Festival, Krakow, Poland.
• 2018 Ewa Pachucka Arcadia: landscape and bodies. Art Gallery of New South Wales, 3 March – 29 April 2018.
• 2020–2021 Know My Name: Australian Women Artists 1900 to now, National Gallery of Australia.

Art Collections

Ewa Pachucka's artworks are held in many important art collections around the world, including:

• National Gallery of Australia, Canberra.
• Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney.
• National Museum, Stockholm.
• Lars Wetterling Collection, Sweden.
• Grabowski Gallery, London.
• Omme Gallery, Silkeborg, Denmark.
• The Parliament House Art Collection, Canberra.
• Ararat Art Gallery.
• National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia - "Conversation" 1974.
• Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery - Hobart, Tasmania, Australia - "Woman with hybride", 1980, and "Conversation" 1973.