Jerzy Potrzebowski was born in Sandomierz in 1921 year.
His paintings were strongly related to his experiences and history. His way up to the top was bumpy – in his early twenties, when World War II started, he became a resistance movement member. He was preparing false documents, distributed underground letters, however in 1943 he had been caught and exiled, firstly to Auschwitz-Birkenau labour camp, then Buchenwald and finally to Lipsk.
In 1945, during liberation, Potrzebowski escaped to the Krakow, where he settled. Here, in Krakow, he graduated Academy of Fine Arts (do you believe, he started straight after abolition, in 1945?).
In 1965 he moved from Krakow to Sweden, where he took a Bohman Art Gallery position in Stockholm.
In his paintings, the valuable artist referred to wartimes, but not only – also portraits, historical scenes, city landscapes was a field of Potrzebowski interest.
Jerzy reverted to Krakow a few months before death in 1974 – he is buried in Salwator district. To honour his achievements and merits, the street in Prokocim-Bieżanów district was named after him.
