Leszek Cieślik’s house is located near the Grojec Mount in Żywiec. His garden is full of sculptures as well as his house – wooden and stone ones. It is an especially charming place full of peace and warmth.

He started with wood sculpting. It became a serious job when he finished his professional work in 1998. In 2002 he took part in an exhibition called “The life of Christ in the art” and he caught many people’s attention with his work “Jesus at the pole” with characteristic figure features for the folk art. He had already been working with stone sculpting and he was one of the winners of the competition organized in Nowy Sącz. It was just the beginning of great success that he achieved. His individual exhibitions were presented in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Strasbourg (stone nativity scenes). He regularly participates in the competition called “The patrons of our churches”, which is held in Stryszawa as well as in the international competition for stone sculptures organized in Nowy Sącz.

He especially got interested in the figure of Christ – the Pensive One, Falling under the cross or the Nazarene. His life is also filled with the figures of saints, angels, and cherubs. Sometimes a musician or a shepherd boy appear. The sandstone figures made by Leszek Cieślik can be found in houses and gardens of private collectors or they “guard” roads and wastelands of The Beskids Mountains.

It is an artist who is constantly trying to perfect his skills and he takes up new challenges. “You need to learn how to talk to stone” he once said about the material which not only requires your creativity, knowledge, and technique but also your patience. He talks with the volubility about this material – its features, requirements and its vagaries and when you listen you realize that the person speaking really loves his passion.

There is one more factor making the house and the workshop of Leszek Cieślik worth visiting. It is a fact that not only can he share his abilities with others but is also willing to do so. On numerous occasions, he hosted workshops teaching others this difficult art of struggling with a stone. Maybe it is worth trying.

Galeria Leszka Cieślika
34-300 Żywiec, ul. Magnoliowa 10
tel. (+48) 33 861 82 14