Cyryl Polaczek is a painter who developed a visual language defined by its materiality and storytelling at an early age. Oscillating between an intrusive thought and a wandering daydream, his paintings are sometimes humorous in their comparison of objects, other times achingly observant in their consideration of something bigger.

Cyryl Polaczek (b. 1989 in Zielona Góra, Poland) lives and works in Kraków, Poland.

Education

He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts, Gdańsk, Universität der Künste, Berlin, and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, Kraków, in 2014.

Exhibitions

Selected solo and duo exhibitions include Super Super Markt, Berlin; Coulisse Gallery, Stockholm (both 2026 upcoming); BWA, Zielona Góra; Clay.Warsaw, Warsaw (both 2024); Galeria Monopol, Warsaw (2022); James Fuentes, Online (2021); Galeria Potencja, Kraków (2021 with Martyna Kielesińska); Galeria Dobro, Olsztyn (2020); Potencja, Kraków (2018); Galeria Zderzak, Kraków (2016); and Aacollection Gallery, Vienna (2014 with Tomasz Kręcicki).

Polaczek's work has been included in group exhibitions at Linseed, Shanghai; MOCAK, Kraków; BRAUNSFELDER, Cologne; The National Museum in Poznań, Poznań; Gdańsk Municipal Gallery 1, Gdańsk; Galeria Monopol, Warsaw; Centre for Contemporary Art, Toruń (all 2025); Gdańska Galeria Miejska, Gdańsk; Esther Schipper, Berlin; Galeria SKALA, Poznań; Galeria BWA, Bielsko-Biała (all 2023); Zachęta – National Gallery of Art, Warsaw; NOWA Art Space, Nowa Ruda; Galeria Bielska BWA, Bielsko-Biała (all 2022); BWA, Zielona Góra; Studio BWA, Wrocław; Rondo Sztuki, Katowice (all 2021); Gallery of the Academy of Fine Arts, Kraków (2020); NADA Projects Miami, Potencja, Miami; Gussglashalle, Berlin; 44th Biennial of Painting Bielska Jesień, BWA, Bielsko Biała; Fundacja Rodziny Staraków, Oficine 800, Venice (all 2019); Spinnerei archiv massiv, Leipzig; and Fundacja Stefana Gierowskiego, Warsaw (both 2018).

Collections

Cyryl Polaczek's work is part of public collections. These include the dela art collection, Warsaw; Discourse Art Collection, Poland; ING Polish Art Collection, Warsaw; and Radosław Kotarski, Warsaw.