Andrzej Trzaska. Twórczość w Ośrodku Internowania
Andrzej Trzaska. Creativity in the Internment Center

Summary/Abstract: The objects, memorabilia and photographs that have been collected at the European Solidarity Centre (ECS) since 2008 relate primarily to the period of activity of the democratic opposition from 1970 to 1989. The core of the ECS art collection is the art of the 1980s related to the independent culture movement, which resulted from the rejection of official, government-backed art after the imposition of Martial Law. In 2009, a collection of drawings made in most unusual circumstances was added to the collection of the European Solidarity Centre. Almost 400 bearded male faces were drawn by Andrzej Trzaska, an artist from Gdańsk. The author of the portraits was interned in Strzebielinek, near Wejherowo, for over six months. He was arrested for his involvement with the Trade Union Solidarity. The artist created not only male portraits in the internment camp, he also represented the cells, the yard and the camp buildings. He is also the author of many camp ‘postage stamps,’ which were a characteristic element of the creativity of internees not only in Strzebielinek. Andrzej Trzaska was an artist who had the gift of versatility: he was involved in painting, ceramics, drawing and jewellery making; perhaps this very feature combined with the urge to create allowed him, in the situation of internment, confinement and isolation, to produce an extraordinary record of the time. He studied painting at the State Higher School of Visual Arts in Wrocław and in Gdańsk; he took part in many exhibitions in Poland and abroad. Portraits from Srzebielinek are available on the website of the European Solidarity Centre. Many of the people drawn are still waiting to be identified. This year (2021), to mark the anniversary of the introduction of Martial Law, an exhibition of Andrzej Trzaska’s scanned portraits has been organized in Strzebielinek.

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