Polish photographer Andrzej Świetlik died at 74, according to co‑founder of the ŁódźKaliska art collective, Marek Janiak.
Tribute from Co‑founder of ŁódźKaliska
Marek Janiak, co‑founder of the artistic group ŁódźKaliska, announced the death of his close friend. He wrote on social media, “Andrzej Świetlik, my most beloved friend, has passed away! Thanks to him, many beautiful things were created. Without him everything will be worse.”
Early Life and Education
Born in 1951 in Złotów, Andrzej studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and earned a diploma from the Polish Association of Photographers. He later taught at the Warsaw Higher School of Applied Informatics and Management.
Artistic Group and Notable Projects
In 1979 he co‑founded the avant‑garde anarchistic collective ŁódźKaliska with Andrzej Kwietniewski, Adam Rzepecki, Marek Janiak, and Andrzej Wielogórski. The group’s most famous works include an artistic interpretation of Jan Matejko’s “Battle of Grunwald” and the series “Parada wieszczów” and “Niechsczezną mężczyźni.”
Professional Career and Celebrity Portraits
Świetlik worked primarily in artistic, commercial, user, and press photography. He photographed many well‑known personalities, including Grzegorz Ciechowski, Kora, Czesław Niemen, Stanisław Sojka, Justyna Steczkowska, Marek Grechuta, Ryszard Kapuściński, Zbigniew Brzeziński, Jacek Kuroń, Father Adam Boniecki, and Zbigniew Religa. His images were also used on around 50 album covers such as “Obywatel Świata” by Obywatel G.C., “1991” by Republika, “Derwisz i Anioł” by Manaam, and “Dziewczyna Szamana” by Justyna Steczkowska.
Legacy and Honors
In 2020 he received a ZAiKS award in the field of visual arts, and in 2025 the city of Złotów honored him with the title of honorary citizen.