Bohdan Butenko (1931 Bydgoszcz - 2019), Gapiszon, 2015

serigraphy on canvas, 40 x 55 cm

Unframed work, delivered in a paper tube.

Born in Bydgoszcz, he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Shortly after graduating in 1955, he began working at the Nasza Księgarnia publishing house as an art editor. Here in 1956 his first books were published: Julian Tuwim's Pan Maluskiewicz and the Whale and Erich Kästner's 35 May. Since then, about 250 books with Butenko's pinxit signature have appeared on the Polish market. Many of them have also been published outside Poland. He is the creator of well-known comic characters - Gapiszon and Kwapiszon of his own authorship, as well as Gucio and Caesar. He illustrated and graphically designed books by popular authors: Jan Brzechwa, Julian Tuwim, Joanna Kulmowa, Joanna Papuzinska, Adam Bahdaj, Wanda Chotomska, Wiktor Woroszylski, Edmund Niziurski, Kornel Makuszyński, Erich Kästner, Edward Lear and others. Not only children's books absorb his creative attention. He has graphically designed the prose of Gustav Morcinek, Bohumil Hrabal, Hanna Krall, the poetry of Adam Asnyk, Tadeusz Kubiak and many other publications aimed at adults. Butenko also works on posters, typography in popular science books, theatrical and television set design, creates layouts for magazines and designs for animated films, as well as author's books, which are a picture-word unity. He won many awards including: a silver medal in the Rimini poster competition, and several prizes and awards in the national competition for the best books of various years. He died in Warsaw in 2019.