Polish Learning Community and Resources

Polish folk art

In this blog post, we’re going to talk a bit about… art! More specifically, we’ll explore the colourful and rich world of traditional Polish folk art and handicrafts. Ready?

Wycinanki 

The word wycinanka comes from wycinać - ‘to cut out’, therefore wycinanka means simply a ‘paper cutout’. While you may associate paper cutouts with a simple children’s activity, in Polish folk art they take you to a whole new level. They range from relatively simple to very complicated and colourful patterns. This art started sometime around the 19th century, and as is often the case, was a way to decorate houses. There are several regions known for their wycinanki, the most well-known is definitely Łowicz – I’m sure you’ve seen these patterns somewhere as in recent years they’ve become extremely common on souvenirs. While wycinanki łowickie are made from colourful pieces of paper that are layered to make a pattern, other regions such as Kurpie, Kołbiel or Powiśle use a single piece of paper to create a symmetrical pattern. Keep in mind that they are traditionally made freehand, so they require a lot of planning and precision and are definitely not as easy to make as they seem at first!

Ceramika z Bolesławca

Another very iconic example of Polish folk art is the Bolesławiec pottery. I must admit that I wasn’t aware that this art was known abroad until I went to London, where I immediately recognised the patterns in one of the shops, where it was simply called “Polish pottery”. No wonder why it was simply called Polish - it is the most recognisable type of Polish ceramics and everyone had at some point at least one piece at home. What makes it so recognizable? If you ever see a piece of pottery with white polka dots on a dark blue background, you can be sure it comes from Bolesławiec. Interestingly, the town has a much longer tradition of pottery-making but the iconic white-on-blue pattern comes from some time around 18-19th century and due to the relocation of the population of the border towns, it is also well known in Eastern Germany. Another interesting fact is that around 90% of the produced Boleslawiec ceramics are exported, they are also very often gifted to foreign officials on their visits to Poland as an unofficial cultural symbol of the country.

Koronki z Koniakowa

Let’s end this overview with something even more complicated - koronki (‘lace’). This intricate art is mainly associated with the village of Koniaków. This art dates back to the early 20th century and while lace is quite common across European cultures, it is only in Koniaków where crotchet lace is made, there’s currently no other place in the world where this kind of koronka is made! What makes it even more impressive is the fact that the women who make them don’t use any kind of patterns - it’s all done freehand and the patterns are often extremely complicated. This art is also very versatile, it can be used to make ornaments, clothes, jewellery, table runners and so much more. Koniaków lace-makers take great pride in having made lace for many historical figures such as the queen of Belgium in 1962, at least three popes and even Queen Elizabeth II, they also made laces for many international celebrities and well-known fashion designers.

Of course, there’s a lot more to Polish folk art and handicrafts than this brief overview. I hope that besides giving you some great ideas for potential souvenirs from Poland, this blog post sparked your interest in folk traditions that are often overlooked.