Zbigniew Kopania
Zbigniew Kopania was born in Poland. Having graduated from secondary schools in 1969, he became a student at the state theatrical, television, and film college, the Faculty of Camera-Works. Included among its distinguished alumni is Roman Polanski.
Together with film and photographic activities, he cultivated paintings in the department of Art. The early stage of his painting was under the guidance of Dr. K. Zwolinska and J. Mierzejewski, a renowned painter in Poland and abroad.
After graduating in 1974, Kopania began work as a cameraman, making both documentaries and feature films. He did not neglect his painting, however; when interest in his oil paintings began to grow, he abandoned his work in film and devoted himself entirely to painting. Then came his first joint and individual exhibitions in Poland.
Kopania’s first voyages abroad began in 1979. He established connections with galleries in Frankfurt, and held shows in London and Amsterdam. Many of his works are owned by private collectors in many European countries as well as the United States, Canada, Africa, and Australia.
In his early works Kopania’s oeuvre originates from the 18th century Dutch masters of still life. His work is equal in precision and palette. Through time, his paintings have given way to a brighter and happier mood as well as an intensified realism in color, leaving behind the often darker tones of 18th century Dutch painting. Over the course of nine years, Kopania frequently visited Holland where many of his paintings were created.