Jozef Sekalski 1904–1972

Sekalski was a painter, printmaker, designer, illustrator and teacher. He was born in Turek, Poland and studied medicine for several years but gave it up to study, from 1929–34, at Wilno University’s faculty of fine art. Sekalski painted church murals until in 1937 he became head of a studio in Lódź. He escaped from occupied Poland in 1940 and travelled to Budapest, where he held a very successful print show depicting the burning of Warsaw. More travels took him to France where he enlisted in the French-run Polish Army, was captured and escaped to Scotland where in 1942 he rejoined the Polish Army. He settled in St Andrews where he became a member of a key wood engraving circle and built up a reputation as a book designer and etcher. From 1957 Jozef Sekalski lectured in printmaking at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee.
Jozef showed with the Society of Scottish Artists, of which he was elected a member, RE, RA, RSA and elsewhere. He was married to the artist Roberta Hodges.

Source: ‘Artists in Britain Since 1945’ by David Buckman (Art Dictionaries Ltd, part of Sansom & Company)