Ryszard Kryska

Kryska is a graphic designer, painter, and scenographer from Poland. Trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, he currently works in the publishing house of the National Library of Poland and for numerous Polish publishing houses (his book jacket illustrations can be seen on this site in A Shot of Strong Spirit and Picador). He has exhibited his work in Poland, Europe, and Japan.

To look at Kryska's work is to see an artist who can go from a simplistic, cartoon-like style to complex paintings reminiscent of the work of Hieronymous Bosch. Despite the differences in the pictures, they share the theme of modern life gone off kilter. "The cycle is all about travelling to and depicting a dreamscape that is rooted in the reality of today's world," says the artist of his work.

Our gallery of Kryska's art is below—click on an image to enlarge. His work falls into four categories: "Fly By" depicts man's desire to fly explored in a dreamword bordering on reality. The "Storytime" sequence shows a fairytale landscape reflecting the real world. "Polish Gardens" is Kryska's interpretation of this location. Viewers can make what they will of the final four illustrations.