In 2021, the complete studio of the famous artist Karol Tchorek was added to Warsaw’s municipal collection. The rich collection included sculptures, archival materials and the interior of his post-war workplace. Thanks to the generous decision of the sculptor’s daughter-in-law, this priceless memento was saved in almost unchanged form.
Tchorek’s studio in Warsaw
On 5 July 2021, Katharine Bentall, Karol Tchorek’s daughter-in-law and guardian of his legacy, donated the collection to the City of Warsaw. The donation included sculptures, drawings, designs, photographs and extensive documentation, as well as items of equipment from the studio, which was set up after the war in an outbuilding on Smolna Street. Before finalising the agreement, the Office of the Capital City Conservator of Monuments conducted a detailed inventory of the objects, which had been carefully looked after by the donor for many years. Of particular value was the collection of sculptures and drawings, entered in the register of monuments, supplemented by a collection of folk art collected by the artist.
Karol Tchorek. Work and biography
Karol Tchorek was born in 1904 in Serock. He belonged to a group of sculptors who, after World War II, co-created the new artistic landscape of Warsaw. He gained the most publicity for his plaques commemorating the sites of street executions during the occupation, designed from 1949 onwards and placed in the city landscape in subsequent years. We wrote more about the plaques HERE. At the same time, the artist created monumental sculptures, intimate forms and tombstones. His studio on Smolna Street was the birthplace of, among others, “Motherhood”, the tombstone of Władysław Strzemiński and the composition “Warsaw Autumn”. The intimate space was a place of intense work, as well as an environment for the exchange of ideas for artists of several generations. After Tchorek’s death in 1985, his family took over the care of his work. The sculptor was laid to rest in Powązki Cemetery.
Tchorek’s studio on Smolna Street – continuity of place
Tchorek created his downtown studio in the early 1950s, building it from elements of a demolished outbuilding at 36 Smolna Street. His two previous workplaces were destroyed during World War II. The interiors of the new premises were designed and arranged by the artist, which, years later, became a showcase of his sculptural workshop. For decades, artistic activity flourished there, enriched by the presence of other artists associated with Karol Tchorek. The studio also preserves the legacy of his son Mariusz, an art critic, translator and psychotherapist. It was thanks to his efforts and the support of Zofia Tchorek that in 1985 the interior was placed under the protection of the conservator of monuments.
Warsaw Historical Art Studio
After Mariusz Tchorek’s death, Katharine Bentall took over the studio, establishing the Tchorek Bentall Foundation and initiating a programme of artistic and research activities devoted to the history of Warsaw and places of remembrance. In 2014, the studio was among the first spaces to be included in the Warsaw Historical Art Studios programme, established to protect such places from liquidation and the dispersal of their collections. Since 2022, it has been under the care of the Museum of Warsaw, which has made the restored space available to the public.
Source:Mazovian Provincial Conservator of Monuments
Photos: WUOZ in Warsaw
See also:Architecture | Art|Monument|Warsaw|Architecture in Poland
