Zbiok Street artist, illustrator, curator
The artist describes his work as a “post-collage of images from contemporary culture.”
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Wrocław, Poland Slawomir Czajkowski, known by his pseudonym, Zbiok, was born in 1982 in the Polish city of Zielona Góra. He graduated from the Faculty of Arts and Culture at Zielona Góra University in 2006 with a master’s degree. He now lives and works in the Polish city of Wrocław. Zbiok began his career as a street artist in the mid-1990s under the influence of the New York school of graffiti and hip-hop culture. Later, inspired by the art of the early twentieth century, especially the avant-garde movement and Picasso’s legacy, he began to study the style of the Mexican Muralists. As a student, Zbiok went far beyond traditional graffiti, experimenting with new techniques in his murals. In addition to spray-painting, he has tried his hand at illustration, design, and explored other areas. He has continued to expand his sphere of interests over the course of many years, actively participating in exhibitions and collaborating with government agencies. He is now well-known in Wrocław and beyond, but he still remains true to graffiti culture, continuing to work under a pseudonym. In his work, Zbiok challenges the monopolization of urban spaces and excessive control over people’s lives. He depicts the world around him with characteristic humour and irony, and grapples with the dominance of advertising in public places. At the same time, his work is devoid of activist overtones. The artist describes his work as a “post-collage of images from contemporary culture.” Zbiok is one of Poland’s most active and influential street artists and the winner of several prestigious awards, including the 2010 WARTO National Award and the grand prize in the 2009 Geppert competition, which showcases young Polish artists. He has also received a scholarship from the Polish Minister of Culture. Zbiok has held several major solo exhibitions in Poland and abroad. In addition, he has participated in many collective projects in Poland, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, and the United States, is co-curator of the Polish street art festival OUT OF STH in Wrocław, and is the author of Street Sketchbook.
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