Władysław Hasior’s Breath
This work of unusual form and meaning was created for Sopot by Tadeusz Fołtyn in 2005, who dedicated it to artists of particular merit for the culture of Sopot. The sculpture is entitled Władysław Hasior’s Breath, which is a particular homage by the sculptor to the work of one of the most original Polish artists, Władysław Hasior. The multi-storey metal and colourful structure resembles a fanciful chariot with three huge wheels. A hull of a galleon is placed on the hoops, topped with basinet at the bow. Instead of masts, ladders and crosses climb from the ship towards the sky. The dynamic vehicle is anchored on a granite plinth decorated with metal plaques with the names of artists worthy of Sopot.
Tadeusz Fołtyn was born in Gdynia in 1936. After World War II, he settled in Sopot, where he lived until his death in 2019. He graduated from the Gdańsk University of Technology’s Faculty of Architecture in 1962. He preferred to work in metal, also using enamel techniques. He made reliefs and sculptures wrought in metal, as well as small sculptures, abstract and realistic compositions. He decorated many church interiors as well as public buildings in Poland. His works are in many museums in Europe, Africa and America. He is the author of another famous sculpture in Sopot, depicting the figure of the “Umbrella Man,” a well-known eccentric personality beloved in Sopot in the latter half of the 20th century.
Author: Tadeusz Fołtyn (1936- 2019)
Date: 2005
Technique: painted steel
