Two works located in the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Częstochowa on Jasna Góra are particularly associated with the person of the Holy Father: the Amber and Diamond Robe of Entrustment Totus Tuus and the Rosary Monstrance Rosarium Virginis Mariae, which is a private votive offering of the Drapikowski family. It is a unique opportunity to view these works in Gdańsk.
Many spectacular sacred works have been created in the Drapikowski Studio and can be found in numerous places across the world. In St Bridget's Church in Gdańsk, we can admire the most famous amber masterpieces, inextricably linked with the World Capital of Amber: the Amber Altar (unfinished at this stage), the Amber Monstrance, and a replica of the crucifix presented to John Paul II by Mariusz Drapikowski in 1999. For the Jasna Góra altar – in addition to the works mentioned above – they also recreated the silver tabernacle and two figures: St Casimir and St Paul the Hermit. In Jerusalem, there is the Jerusalem Triptych – the 4th Station of the Cross, and in Oziornoje in Kazakhstan, the Star of Kazakhstan, namely the Altar of Mercy in the Sanctuary of Our Lady, Queen of Peace.
Apart from monumental altar structures, they make all sacred items comprising the liturgical furnishings, i.e. monstrances, reliquaries, gospels, crosses, silver paintings, etc. The monumental marble sculptures by Kamil Drapikowski: St Michael the Archangel, which is a paraphrase of the reverse of the right wing of the triptych The Last Judgement Hans Memling, as well as the Apocalyptic Madonna, adorn the courtyard of the Amber Museum.
The artistic objects coming out of their workshop are characterised by excellent craftsmanship and the precise use of traditional goldsmithing and sculptural techniques that are rarely used today. Their outstanding craftsmanship enables reality to be faithfully and meticulously rendered. The oldest designs coming out of Drapikowski Studio were clearly inspired by the plant world. In the organic shapes – winding, intertwining, soft lines – we find meticulously and realistically reproduced flora. The style of their most recently created works is transforming towards geometric, synthetic, subtly fragmented forms. The materials used in the latest pieces are also changing. In addition to amber and silver, striped flint frequently appears, and above all glass, which causes the dematerialisation and de-realisation of the form.
Mariusz Drapikowski emphasises that ”a characteristic feature of his work is a love of amber and a desire to bring out all the beauty contained within it". His artistic path has been associated with amber from his very first works. In his passion as an amber craftsman, he has not limited himself merely to creating artistic items in or with amber. For many years, he has actively participated in work aimed at understanding and spreading knowledge about amber. He is currently the president of the International Amber Association, an organisation which, since 1996, has brought together artists, scientists and merchants supporting all activities aimed at promoting and researching amber worldwide. In recognition of his enormous role in popularising amber, in 1999 he became the first recipient of the honorary Amber Craftsman of the Year award.
Mariusz Drapikowski He was born in 1960 in Dzierżoniów in Lower Silesia. After studying at the Faculty of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź, graduating in 1983, he moved to Gdańsk, where he has run his own artistic studio since 1984. Additionally, he studied at the Jewellery Design Department in the studio of Prof. Andrzej Szadkowski at the Łódź Academy of Fine Arts. His works can be found in many museums worldwide, including the Vatican Museums, the Castle Museum in Malbork, the Museum in Riga, the Amber Museum, and the Branch of the Museum of Gdańsk.
Kamil Drapikowski he was born in 1983 in Gdańsk. He graduated from the Faculty of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk under the supervision of Professor Stanisław Radwański. He was a multiple scholarship holder of the Mayor of the City of Gdańsk and the Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship, and a recipient of a scholarship from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
It is 30 years since the establishment of Drapikowski Studio, a round anniversary of working with amber. It is also an important anniversary for the studio, where talented amber artisans have been able to develop their talents under the guidance of the Drapikowskis.
Exhibition Mariusz and Kamil Drapikowski - Art in the Circle of the Sacred
Amber Museum, a Branch of the Gdańsk Museum, Court Room
20 June – 28 September 2014.