Yanush Godlewski

(Polish, b. 1939) 

Yanush Stanislaw Godlewski was born in Warsaw, Poland on August 28, 1939, where he and his family remained throughout World War II and the German occupation.

Revealing an affinity for the humanities as a young child, Godlewski entered the Warsaw School of Music of Frederic Chopin in the fourth grade as a student of the violin and piano. It was in this extremely rigorous yet very artistic ambience that young Godlewski first began drawing. He organized drawing sessions with his fellow classmates and, further encouraged by his cousin—renowned architect Solonowicz – and his drawing instructor, continued to improve his drawing skills.

At the time of his graduation in 1957, Godlewski was an accomplished musician yet he opted to pursue visual arts and architecture. He entered the Warsaw Polytechnic Division of Architecture. Although he continued to draw, the technical demands of his architectural studies prevented him from improving his skills as an artist. Godlewski learned to play guitar and joined Poland’s first rock-and-roll group. As its lead guitarist, he gave numerous concerts and frequently made radio and television appearances.

By 1963, Godlewski had confirmed his love of art and enrolled at the Academy of Fine Art of the University of Warsaw. The courses he frequented not only expanded his knowledge of color, composition and the use of light, perception and mood in painting, but also endowed him with a thorough knowledge of the different schools of painting and the great masters of Western art. In 1968, upon the invitation of Swedish artist Ulf Erickson, Godlewski went to Sweden for a thirty-day visit that transformed into a two-year sojourn. This was an extremely versatile and active period for Godlewski as he painted, mastered the Swedish language and continued with his music recording, making appearances and giving concerts.

The year 1970 marked Godlewski’s first trip to the United States. Since then, he has received many awards for his work and has had numerous one-man shows at noted galleries throughout California. Between 1980 and 1985 Mr. Godlewski owned and operated his own gallery in Half Moon Bay, California. His works have been exhibited in Sweden and Denmark.