About
A multidisciplinary artist (born in 1989 in Warsaw), dealing primarily with painting, drawing and design. He graduated from the Faculty of Graphic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw (2013). In 2011, he was the visiting student at ESAG Penninghen in Paris. Since 2016, he has been cooperating with the Hermés.
Bajtlik is fascinated by the beginnings of visual culture in Europe, especially the heritage of antiquity or the beginnings of writing. In his projects, he often refers to ancient art, creating a dialogue between the present and the experience of the past. He is also interested in calligraphy and Far Eastern aesthetics, with particular emphasis on Japanese aesthetics. This interest is visible in the expressiveness of his painting gesture. Despite the use of traditional media, the artist uses modern means of expression. In his projects, he is also inspired by graphic design and poster art.
Bajtlik has also collaborated with the Swatch and Bensimon. He is the author of illustrations for The New York Times, Time Magazine, Courrier International, and Google among others. Bajtlik is also the author of art books. The book "Auto" illustrated by the artist hit the New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book 2018 list. Books created by Bajtlik have been published by international publishing houses, including: Tate Publishing, Walker Books, Candlewick Press, Corraini Edizioni, Les Grandes Personnes, La Joie de lire, Moritz Verlag. He is also the author of the cover of the Polish edition of Vogue (issue 10/2023).
The artist has won numerous awards in national and international competitions: special mention at the Bologna Ragazzi Award (2015), a silver medal at the 10th and a bronze medal at the 12th International Poster Triennial in Toyama (Japan). In 2015, he received a special award of the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Poland for artistic and educational activities, sensitizing children to issues related to art.
Since 2016, he has been cooperating with the Hermés, designing the iconic scarves, fashion accessories, jewellery and watches. He also designs for Hermés Home, developing ceramics and artistic fabrics. He is the author of the installation presented on the windows of the brand‘s first boutique in Warsaw, he also created a composition on the occasion of Hermés Fantasy Funfair in Dubai. All projects carried out by Bajtlik are based on traditional media, such as drawing or painting; original, freehand designs are part of the Hermés collection.
Bajtlik is also the author of art books. The book Auto ’illustrated by the artist hit the New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book 2018 list. Books created by Bajtlik have been published by international publishing houses, including: Tate Publishing, Walker Books, Candlewick Press, Corraini Edizioni, Les Grandes Personnes, La Joie de lire, Moritz Verlag. He is also the author of the cover of the Polish edition of Vogue (issue 10/2023).
Jan Bajtlik’s works are housed in private collections in Poland, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Denmark, England and the United States.
Privately, Bajtlik is a mountaineer, skier, paraglider and ultra-marathon runner. He lives and works in Chamonix in the French Alps.
Selected exhibitions
2022 - Beyond Baroque - group exhibition of the initiative "art+château" in the Schloss Waldegg, Feldbrunnen - Sankt Niklaus, Switzerland
2021 – Élan vital – double solo exhibition presenting works by Jan Bajtlik and Alexander Skorobogatov in Szydłowski Gallery in Warsaw
2020 – Jan Bajtlik. Lines - Rhythms – Labyrinths – exhibition of drawings and paintings in Polish Institute Dusseldorf
2020 – Positions Art Fair Berlin 2020 – exhibition of drawings and paintings, represented by Szydłowski Gallery
2018 – Artissima Art Fair in Turin – exhibition of drawings and paintings, represented by Szydłowski Gallery
2018 – Dogs Mix – graphic exhibition in 3sec.gallery in Breda
2018 – Jardin Particulier – painting exhibition in Promocyjna Gallery in Warsaw
2017 – Greek Labirynths – exhibition of drawings in Szydłowski Gallery in Warsaw
2016 – Utopies & Réalités #2 – poster and book exhibition, Féte du Graphisme, Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris
2015 – Che carattere! La lettere dell’aIfabeto tra arte e design – poster and book exhibition in Galleria Corraini, Festivaletteratura 2015, Mantua