Such was the Lasowiak life... The old village in the sculpture of Jan Puk

The exhibition entitled Such was the Lasowiacki life… The old village in Jan Puk’s sculpture presents the silhouette and works of a folk artist, a representative of the older generation immersed in the tradition and folk culture of the Lasowiaks. Jan Puk is an exceptional artist who devotes his life to the beautiful idea of maintaining the memory of the folk culture of the Lasowiak region. For many years now he has been one of the most recognized folk sculptors, storytellers, poets and chroniclers in this part of the Podkarpackie province. His house in Trześni (Gorzyce municipality), a kind of small museum, hosts researchers of folk culture, regionalists, teachers and numerous tour groups, who watch with curiosity the wooden sculptures: shrines, movable toys, representations of old rural activities, patriotic sculptures, simple instruments. The artist has gained recognition in many cultural circles for his openness, directness and passion. Over the course of his creative work, which has already lasted more than thirty years, numerous exhibitions have been prepared for him in schools, libraries and cultural centers. His sculptures, especially his toys, have found their way into private and museum collections. He is also eager to share his knowledge of the history and traditions of the Lasowiak region. Full of enthusiasm, he participates in lectures and meetings devoted to folk culture, at which, dressed in Lasowiak costume, he chatted with inimitable charm about old life with the Lasowiak people.He still invariably creates sculptures and toys since the 1980s, surprising the public with ever newer ideas and themes. The exhibition at the Regional Museum in Stalowa Wola brings the younger generation closer to the old life in the Lasowiak village, which the artist illustrated and preserved thanks to his talent and skill in shaping and woodworking. The artist also talks about the old world in a film made by museum workers entitled Life of the Lasowiaks in Jan Puk’s Memories. Folk art is accompanied by interesting ethnographic artifacts, which appear in miniaturized form in the carved representations. The exhibition and film are the result of many years of very good cooperation with the artist. The exhibition was created according to the idea of curator Elzbieta Skromak, arranged by Iwona Pityńska-Iskra.