“I cease to exist for myself” is a comprehensive exhibition of large-format textiles and tapestries by one of the key representatives of the Polish School of Textiles. Krystyna Wojtyna-Drouet celebrated her 100th birthday in January and has been creating art continuously for over 70 years. The exhibition features a selection of 20 of the artist’s works.
The artworks have been arranged to illustrate the formal and stylistic changes in the artist’s work—from figurative pieces, through abstract compositions, to the lyrical works of her later years. All the large-format tapestries are displayed in the large room, which is divided by sheer fabrics into three smaller spaces that blend into one another. Some of the tapestries, displayed horizontally, levitate above the floor on transparent display stands.
THE COLOR
We were looking for a unifying color for the exhibition, one that would be as vibrant as the artist herself, a color she loved and used. We noticed that peach color appears in most of her tapestries, it is the color that connects all he works together.
THE EYES
Krystyna Wojtyna-Drouet works intuitively. Her only designs for large-format textiles are small, sketch-like drawings on scraps of newspaper or packaging, done in pen or pencil. The final form of the work takes shape directly on the loom. We translated one of the artist’s sketches into the large scale drawing. From the archive room, oversized eyes gaze back at 11 long meters showcase presenting objects documenting her craft: dyeing recipes, sketches and fabrics demonstrating weaving techniques.
THE PROJECTION ROOM
The installation by Maria Oblicka and Alexander Cabeza-Trigg consists of a documentary film and a slide show in which photographs from Wojtyna-Drouet’s travels are interwoven with images of her works sold abroad. The film, shown simultaneously, captures her daily life in the studio: working at the looms, dyeing fabrics, and casual conversations.
WEAVING DISPLAY
We presented a collection of original hand-woven garments, crafted from scratch by the artist, on a curvy display rack. The shape of the display is inspired by the weaving lines found throughout artist’s tapestries and sketches.
Exhibition designers: Matylda Halkowicz, Marta Szostek, Natalia Wojciechowska
Artists: Krystyna Wojtyna-Drouet, Alexander Cabeza-Trigg, Agnieszka Grodzińska, Maria Oblicka
Curator: Jędrzej Zakrzewski
Production: Dominika Kaszewska, Karolina Jezierska-Pomorska, Anna Muszyńska
Contractors: Grzegorz Ostromecki, Andrzej Bialik, Dariusz Bochenek, Remigiusz Olszewski, Paweł Ostromecki, Konrad Zając
Technological partnership: Dekoma Fabrics
Photo (1-8,11-19): Daniel Rumiancew
Photo (9,10): Habryn Wawrzoła HaWa
Zachęta National Gallery of Art 2025