Polychrome wood; height: 21 cm; base diameter: 10 cm; signed on back: ADAM ZEGADŁO
Adam Zegadło (1910-1989) came from the village of Krzyżka near Suchedniów in Świętokrzyskie province. He was involved in farming, but also undertook many other activities from his early teenage years. In the 1930s and post-war years, like many residents of neighboring villages, he earned his living by making small farm items from wood and toys. At the age of 50, inspired by his son Henry's sculptures made for Cepelia, he began creating his own works. Contributing to the spread of his work was the Swietokrzyskie Museum in Kielce, which was the first to start buying his sculptures. His artistic position was further consolidated by the exhibition "Others" in 1965, held at the Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw. The artist became a well-known and recognizable sculptor. His works are in renowned ethnographic museums in the country.
They were also purchased by private collectors such as Ludwik Zimmerer, Boleslaw Nawrocki, Leszek Macak, Izabella and Piotr Salustowicz.
In his works he took up religious as well as secular themes, referring to the life of the Kielce countryside, local legends, history. In some sculptures, he combined separate elements with the method he used in toy-making. His works are characterized by vivid colors juxtaposed in contrast and unconventional forms invented by the artist, unrelated to traditional folk sculpture. In 1974, the sculptor was awarded the Oskar Kolberg Prize "For merits for folk culture." Biography after: http://etnomuzeum.pl
