Own technique, mixed(ink, tempera, acrylic, pastel), paper; dimensions of the work: 24,5 x 20,5 cm , in Italian frame, gold and passe-partout ( 40 x 35 cm ) - sketch for illustration of "Krasicki's Fairy Tales about animals".
Józef Wilkoń (born February 12 , 1930 in Bogucice near Wieliczka) - illustrator, painter, sculptor, creator of posters and theatrical scenery. Studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow (diploma 1955) and art history at the Jagiellonian University (diploma 1954). He has illustrated more than 200 books for children and adults at home and abroad and has himself written texts for more than a dozen children's books. He has received many awards and prizes, including the Deutsche Jugendliteraturpreis (1964), the State Prize for Children's Creativity (1974) and the Minister of Culture's Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2005. In 2010 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta and received the Golden Sceptre of the Polish Culture Foundation. He has exhibited in many galleries and museums around the world. From the Pompidou Center (1989) through the Zachęta National Gallery in 2006, where his exhibition achieved record attendance, to Japan and South Korea. His works are in numerous museums, including the Museum of Illustration in Moulin, France, the Museum of Picture Books in Oshima, the Chihiro Art Museum in Azumino, Koruisaua in Japan, and the Museum of Literature and the National Library in Warsaw. Galleries and collectors on five continents have his works in their collections. The most important recent publications with his illustrations are "The Jungle Book" published in 2009, "Pan Tadeusz" in 2015 and "Don Quixote" in 2016. The book he wrote and illustrated, "Dog's Life," was named the most beautiful book of the year in Poland in 2011 and was awarded the Bronze Medal in the 50th anniversary Best Designed Books from all over the World International Competition 2013. In 2014, he received the Presidential Couple's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Works for Children and Young People. On the occasion of his 80th and 85th anniversaries, he received Awards from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. In 2016, he was named Man of the Year by Book Literary Magazine. In 2019, His Majesty King Philip VI of Spain awarded Joseph Wilkoni the Commander's Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic for his contribution to Spanish culture.
Major exhibitions at home and abroad:
1960 - Exhibition of paintings, graphics, illustrations, Warsaw
1961 - Exhibition of paintings, graphics, illustrations, Vienna
1968 - Exhibition of book graphics, Lublin, Chelm, Torun
1969 - Exhibition of book graphics, Manchester
1970 - Exhibition of graphics and illustrations, Warsaw
1971 - Exhibition of illustrations, Berlin
1973 - Exhibition of illustrations, Cologne
1975 - Exhibition of graphics and book illustration, Slupsk
1976 - Exhibition of graphics and illustration, Rzeszow, Chicago
1979 - Exhibition of graphics and illustration, Bialystok, Kalisz, Torun
1980 - Exhibition of graphics and book illustration, Katowice
1988 - Exhibition of illustration - 30 years of work, Pulawy, Warsaw
1989 - Exhibition of illustration, Paris
1990 - Exhibition of illustrations to "Pan Tadeusz" - studies from 1963 - 1970, Warsaw
1991 - Exhibition of illustrations, Offenbach
1992 - Exhibition of illustrations from the collection of "Bohem Press", Warsaw
1993 - Józef Wilkoń - Kinderbuchillustrationen, Aachen
1994 - Józef Wilkoń - Kinderbuchillustrationen, Bohum, Ludenscheld, Viersen, Augsburg, Dortmund
1995 - "Lifetime Achievement" Olsztyn, Zielona Gora, Bratislava
1996 - Wilkoń's Menagrie, Munich Germany
1997 - 40th anniversary of work, Warsaw
1998 - "Concert for Malgosia", Kozienice, Krakow
2000 - Exhibition of illustrations in Japan, Toyama, Aki Town, Bunsen
2002 - "Animal" , Książnica Pomorska, Szczecin
2004 - Exhibition of Jozef Wilkon's work, Macerata, Italy
2005 - Exhibition of illustrations, Belluno, Italy
2005 - Exhibition, Tokyo Japan
2005 - "Fish and horses - a small show", Stair Gallery, Warsaw
2005 - "Image and Word" Vilnius Lithuania
2005 - Book workshop in Taipei Taiwan
2006 - Exhibition "In Soplicowo ...,in Wilanów"
2006 - "Wilkoniowe Bestiarium Olsztyn
2006 - exhibition at Urawa Art. Museum in Tokyo Saitama
2006 - "Wikonia Ark", Zachęta Warsaw
2007 - "Nine Beasts and an Angel", Rome Italy 2007 - Animal Fantasy Fukui Fine Arts Museum
2007 - "Encounters with Art" Radziejowice
2008 - "Wilkonia's World", Bielsko-Biala
2008 - "Wilkoniada" Warsaw
2008 - "Wilkonia's Ark", Bialystok
2009 - "Blues of the Rhinoceros" Lodz
2009 - exhibition at the Youth Library in Munich
2009 - illustration and sculpture exhibition, Ostrowiec Swietokrzyski
2009 - "Wilkon" exhibition Rzeszow
2009 - "Kici, Kici miau" exhibition Gdynia
2009 - "Bestiary" exhibition, Czestochowa
2009 - "Wilkoń in Bielany" exhibition Warsaw
2009 - "Wilkoń's World" exhibition Skierniewice
2010 - "Józef Wilkoń and his animals" Gallery 31 MBP Lublin
2010 - "Józef Wilkoń AUTOWIDOKI" BWA Skierniewice
2010 - "Józef Wilkoń " PKIN Book Fair Warsaw
2010 - "Józef Wilkoń - sculpture, painting, drawing" BWA Kalisz
2010 - Jozef Wilkoń exhibition Zacisze Culture House Warsaw
2011 - exhibition Municipal Gallery of Art in Chorzow
2011 - exhibition "Wilkołaki Mistrza Wilkoń" The Baj Theatre in Warsaw
2011 - "Fish, Birds Mammals and Other Werewolves" Museum of the Lubuskie Land in Zielona Góra,
2011 - exhibition of sculptures and illustrations by Jozef Wilkoń Kazimierz Dolny Uciąż
2011 - "Wilkoń finally in our town". Piaseczno
2011 - "Don Quixote - expedition to Plock " Plock Art Gallery
2011 - " JÓZEF WILKOŃ painting, illustration, spatial sculpture" MBP Łańcut
2012 - "Don Quixote expedition to Bełchatów" Museum of the City of Bełchatów
2012 - "Józef Wilkoń "Autowidoki" Gallery upstairs, Radziszewo
2012 - "Birds,Fish, Mammals and Other Werewolves" Municipal Cultural Center Jastrzębie Zdrój
2013 - " Birds,Fish, Mammals and Other Werewolves" Grudziądz Museum
2013 - " Wilkonie" DDAP Warsaw
2013 - "Fish Saki Werewolves" National Museum Przemyśl
2013 - "Wilkoń Return to Tarnów" BWA Tarnów
2013 - "Wilkoń's Ark" Ostróda
2014 - "Fish, Birds, Mammals and Other Werewolves" Rondo Sztuki ASP Katowice
2014 - "Der Wunderbare Welt des Józef Wilkoń" Kunshaus Museen Stade Germany
2014 - sculpture exhibition at Pulaski Museum in Warka
2014 - "Senses of Art" Royal Palace in Wilanow
2015 - "Wilkoniada" Olympic Center Warsaw
2015 - " 85.Wilkonia's Illustrations" SCEK Warsaw
2015 - Jubilee exhibition Radziejowice
2016 - " Wilkoni Forest" Vezley France
2016 - "Book Illustrations by Józef Wilkonia from the Collection of the Oshima Museum " Museum of Picture Books. Japan
2016 - "Don Quixote" House of Words Lublin
2016 - "Wilkoń's Electronic Impressions" digital graphics Limited Edition Warsaw
2016 - "Wilkoń in Wieliczka" CKiT in Wieliczka
2017 - "Wilkoń's Don Quixote" Opera Gallery National Theater Warsaw
2017 - "Dreamers. Don Kichot by Józef Wilkoń", Museum of the City of Gdynia
2017 - "Posters by Józef Wilkoń" University Library in Warsaw
2017 - "Józef Wilkoń's Computer Graphics" PJATAK Warsaw
2017 - "Józef Wilkoń The Story in Nature" Albus Gallery, Seoul, South Korea.
2017 - "Józef Wilkoń's Animals" J. Malczewski National Museum in Radom
2017 - "Józef Wilkoń's Pan Tadeusz and Don Quixote" Horyniec Zdrój
2017 - "Józef Wilkoń and His Animals" CKiT in Wieliczka
2018 - " Happy cases of Józef Wilkoń" Public Library ST.City Warsaw 2018 - "exhibition Kornik Drukarz, Wilkoń ,Piláta, Kusza, Gallery 18 A Warsaw
2018 - outdoor permanent exhibition of Józef Wilkoń's sculptures in Piaseczno 2018 - "What Józef Wilkoń painted from January 2018 to today" Quadrillion in Warsaw 2018 - "Józef Wilkoń. Handmade" Museum of Caricature in Warsaw2018 - "Wilkoń and WE "Kobro Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz.2018 - Jozef Wilkoń, guest of honor of 36 meetings of illustrators "La imagine della fantazia" in Sarmede, Italy2018 - "Wilkoń in Opole" Municipal Public Library in Opole, Poland 2018 - "Fantastic world of Józef Wilkoń" Browar B Cultural Center in Włocławek 2019 - "Caroling with Józef Wilkoń" Służewski DK Warsaw 2019 - "Nude in the paintings of Józef Wilkoń" computer graphics DPT Radziejowice2019 - "Pan Tadeusz in the illustration of Józef Wilkoń" Castle in Dzików Tarnobrzeg2019 - "Józef Wilkoń in Japan" Powsin Botanical Garden2019 - "Józef Wilkoń's nudesat 52" Zlota 44 Warsaw2 019 - "Józef Wilkoń'sart in Japan" APS Gallery Warsaw 2019 - "Józef Wilkoń's Don Quixote Journey to Skierniewice" BWA Skierniewice2019 - "Józef Wilkoń exhibitionillustrations for children" Art Gallery Na Prostej Jabłonna2019- " 100 years of contacts between Poland and Japan group exhibition" Chihiro Art Museum Azumino Japan ,2019 - 'Don Kichote Józef Wilkoń' Museo d'Arte Moderna UGO CARÀ in Muggia, Italy, 2019 - "Wilkoń in Białowieża" Białowieża National Park
2020 - "Józef Wilkoń's Animal Garden" Wejherowo Cultural Center
2020 - "Once I saw by Sunday the silver fish three in the bath..." Tychy City Museum
2020 - "First reading for... illustrations by Józef Wilkoń" Mediateka Sopot
2020 - "Widnokrąg by Józef Wilkoń" Widnokrąg Gallery Sandomierz
2020 - "Cats, foxes, tigers... I read about everything!" Mediateka Sopot
2020 - "Cats, foxes, tigers ...illustrations by Józef Wilkoń" Mediateka in Wieliczka
2020 - "Józef Wilkoń's Menagerie" Orangery in Lidzbark Warmiński
2020 - "Józef Wilkoń's Peacock Feather" open-air exhibition Planty Kraków
2020 - "The Beauty of Relationships in the Art of Józef Wilkoń" Meeting of Cultures Center Lublin
2020 - "Józef Wilkoń Lektury obowiązkowe" Raczynski Library Poznań
2021 - "March Salon 2021.Józef Wilkoń Illustration,Sculpture,Film" MGS Zakopane
2021-"Wilkoń's World in Koneser" Praga Koneser Center Warsaw
2021-"Royal Animals .Wilkoń at Wawel" Royal Castle at Wawel, Castle in
Pieskowa Skała, Manor House in Stryszów
2021 - "Józef Wilkoń's Don Quixote in Bialystok" A.Karny Museum of Sculpture Bialystok
2021 - "Józef Wilkoń .Illustrations of our childhood" Sosnowiec Public Library
2021 - " Pan Tadeusz in illustrations by Józef Wilkoń" Museum of Pan Tadeusz in Wrocław
2020 - "Once I saw by Sunday three silver fish in the bath...". Tychy City Museum
2020 - "First reading for... illustrations by Józef Wilkoń" Mediateka Sopot
2020 - "Widnokrąg by Józef Wilkoń" Widnokrąg Gallery Sandomierz
2020 - "Cats, foxes, tigers... I read about everything!" Mediateka Sopot
2020 - "Cats, foxes, tigers ...illustrations by Józef Wilkoń" Mediateka in Wieliczka
2020 - "Józef Wilkoń's Menagerie" Orangery in Lidzbark Warmiński
2020 - "Józef Wilkoń's Peacock Feather" open-air exhibition Planty Kraków
2020 - "The Beauty of Relationships in the Art of Józef Wilkoń" Meeting of Cultures Center Lublin
2020 - "Józef Wilkoń Lektury obowiązkowe" Raczynski Library Poznań
2021-"March Salon 2021.Józef Wilkoń Illustration,Sculpture,Film" MGS Zakopane
2021-"Wilkoń's World in Koneser" Praga Koneser Center Warsaw
2021-"Royal Animals .Wilkoń at Wawel" Royal Castle at Wawel, Castle in
Pieskowa Skała, Manor House in Stryszów
2021 - "Józef Wilkoń's Don Quixote in Bialystok" A.Karny Museum of Sculpture Bialystok
2021 - "Józef Wilkoń .Illustrations of our childhood" Sosnowiec Public Library
2021 - " Pan Tadeusz in the illustration of Józef Wilkoń" Museum of Pan Tadeusz in Wroclaw
Important awards and decorations
1959 - Gold Medal at the IBA International Exhibition of Editorial Art, Leipzig (Germany)
1964/1966 - Deutschen Jugendliteraturpreis (Germany), nominations in cat. Bilderbuch
1967 - Minister of Culture and Art Award and National Award for achievements in book illustration
1969 - Gold Medal at Biennial of Illustration in Bratislava BIB (Slovakia)
1970, 1973 - Silver Goats at the Biennale of Art for Children (Poznań)
1973 - Award at the Biennale of Illustration in Bratislava BIB and Medal of the National Education Commission for artistic work for children
1974 - Prime Minister's Award for artistic work for children and Gold Medal at the International Book Exhibition in Moscow (USSR)
1975 - Premio Europeo, Padua (Italy)
1977 - Golden Goats at the Biennale of Art for Children (Poznań)
1980 - "Loisirs Jeunes" diploma for the best illustrated foreign book, Paris (France) and Premio Grafico at the International Children's Book Fair, Bologna (Italy)
1984 - The Owl Prize, Tokyo (Japan)
1959, 1961, 1964, 1970, 1973, 1974 - Most Beautiful Book of the Year. PTWK Awards
1987 - PTWK Special Award for Lifetime Achievement
1991 - Grand Prix (Totem Album), Montreuil (France) and Premio Grafico at the International Children's Book Fair, Bologna, Italy
1998 - Andersen Premio, Geneva (Switzerland)
2000 - Graine de Lecteurs 2000, Arles (France)
2002 - Medal - award of Polish Section of IBBY for lifetime achievement
2005 - Award of the Minister of Culture
2006 - Gold Medal "Meritorious for Culture Gloria Artis"
2007 - Award of TVP Kultura for the exhibition "Ark Wilkonia" in the Zachęta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw
2008 - Honorary Award - Book of the Year 2007 of the Polish Section of IBBY
2009 - Nomination of Internationale Jugendbibliothek for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
2010 - Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta
2010-. Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage
2010 - Pegazik Award in the category Creator of Children's Books
2010 - PTWK Award for outstanding illustrations to Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book
2010 - Golden Sceptre, award of the Polish Culture Foundation
2012 - PTWK Award Most Beautiful Book of the Year 2011 for Psie życie
2013 - Bronze medal for the book Psie Życie in the competition Best Designed Books from all over the World
2014 - Award of the Presidential Couple for Józef Wilkoń for outstanding achievements in works for children and young people 2015 - honorary citizen of the City and Municipality of Piaseczno
2015 - Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage
2016 - Award of the Man of the Year according to the Literary Magazine Book
2017- Honorary badge of the Royal Mining Free City of Wieliczka.
2017 - ZAiKS Award for works for children
2018 - Nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
2019 - Pearl of Wieliczka County Award
2019- Commander's Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic, awarded by King Philip VI of Spain
