'Throughout the painting process, I am flooded by glimpses of faces, and memories of people I knew or was dreaming of. The stream of emotions attached to one image accelerates my memory, to the point that the overall picture becomes fragmented. My hand can't follow the fast pace of images created by my own imagination. The process is analogous with the biology of life - it is a continuous revelation and destruction of the image, sometimes to the point of destruction of the canvas. Faces I paint are more than decorative objects that exist only in superficial relation to the surrounding world. I don't want my paintings to convey any answers. Instead I want my subjects to feel the space between the painting and the viewer, to pursue the viewer to continue the contemplation. By revealing and hiding, bringing to light and destroying, I want to give my subjects an existential dimension that is open to interpretation.' ~Tadeusz Biernot
Born in Poland in 1954, Mr. Biernot earned his MFA with honours from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Poland in 1979. While studying the visual arts, he also designed posters, winning first prize in the National poster design contest for "Sztandar Miodych" (the Polish National Newspaper) in 1976. Mr. Biernot was the only student from his graduating class to be offered a teaching assistant position at the academy, and upon graduating from the academy, was awarded several major awards for his artwork. The upward momentum he achieved in his studies allowed Mr. Biernot to firmly establish himself as a poster designer and artist in Poland, and he continued on to win the Silver Medal at the Polish Poster Biennale in Kotawice in 1979.
In addition to working as a teacher throughout the decade, Mr. Biernot designed award winning posters, book illustrations and typefaces. He also exhibited his paintings every year at the "Bielska Jesien", an annual art show in Poland, and at the Annual Group Exhibitions of the Polish Artists Associations in Katowice.
In 1989, Tadeusz Biernot moved to Italy where he accepted a position as Art Director in the advertising agency Zeta 2, working for clients that included Ariston, Guzzini,Teuco and SIDIS.
In 1990, Mr. Biernot emigrated to Canada, where he continued his work in illustration and design. Between 1990 and 1994 he frequently worked on editorial illustrations for the Globe and Mail as well as illustrating for children's books. During this time Mr. Biernot also worked as a designer for in store campaigns at the Hudson Bay Company.
Incredibly, while easily accomplishing all these landmarks within his professional life, Tadeusz Biernot found the time to exhibit his early Canadian paintings in a successful one man show in Toronto in 1992.
In 1995, Mr. Biernot worked as a poster artist for Cineplex Odeon, and various other major Canadian cinema. In 2002, he worked in branding for the Movie Network (Astral Communications). His broadcast design for the TV Channel "Space", a Canadian science fiction network, was awarded the gold medal at the PROMAX Broadcast Design Awards in New York City in 2003. Finally, in 2002, after being appointed creative editorial director for Toronto's renowned Fashion Magazine, Mr. Biernot transformed the publication into the premier glossy fashion magazine of Canada.
In 2005, after many successful years of award winning design and creative directing, Mr. Biernot decided to devote more time to painting, his oldest love. He currently lives and works in Toronto, and his works can be found in many private collections in the United States, Canada, England, Italy, Germany and Poland.
Education Academy of Fine Arts, Krakow, Poland, 1974–1979 Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design
Professional Experience Independent Artist and Creative Consultant, 2004–present Major Projects: Juniper Park Toronto www.juniperpark.com/our_work/chicagotribune.html IMT www.innovativematerials.com Architectural Media www.architecturalmedia.ca Omniplan Group www.omniplangroup.com - Visual presentations for BMW Canada, Honda Canada, Acura Canada, Lexus Canada
Partner and Creative Director, Barkinhotstudio, Toronto, 1994-2004 Project Categories and Major Clients: •Branding and broadcast design: Astral Media The Movie Network MXS, M-fun, Space Channel •Movie titles and opening credits: The Handler - 2003, Soul Food – 2000, Nuremberg – 2000, Cineplex Odeon - 2000, Joan of Arc - 1999, Jacob Two Two – 1999 •Special effects and animation for commercials: BMW, Honda, Nissan, Oil of Olay, HMV Canada, Bluenotes Jeans •Visual creative direction: Toronto Fashion Magazine –2002 - 2003, Fashion 18 Magazine, Astral Media, Cineplex Odeon, Bluenotes Jeans, Modele - skincare. *Art Director, North Screen Studios Ltd., Toronto, 1990-1994 Major accounts: Hudson Bay Company, Canada (Department Store), Sears Canada *Art Director, Zeta 2 Advertising Agency, Ancona, Italy, 1989-1990 Major accounts including: Guzzini, Ariston, Teuco, SIDIS *Senior Designer, Zeta 2 Advertising Agency, Ancona, Italy, 1982-1983 Major accounts including: Guzzini, Ariston, Teuco, SIDIS
Teaching Senior Lecturer, Department of Graphic Design in Katowice, Academy of Fine Arts, Krakow, Poland, 1983-1989 Teaching responsibilities have included teaching graphic design and typography. Participation in restructuring and curriculum development for the Graphic Design Department. Lecturer, Department of Graphic Design in Katowice, Academy of Fine Arts, Krakow, Poland, 1980-1982 Teaching Assistant, Department of Graphic Design in Katowice, Academy of Fine Arts, Krakow, Poland, 1978–1980
Visiting Artist Lectures Academy of Fine Arts, Katowice, Poland, 2007 Ryerson University, Toronto, 2007 Ontario College of Art & Design, Toronto, February 2001, 2003
Awards & Recognition Gold Medal for Broadcast Design for Space Channel - PROMAX Broadcast Design Awards, New York City, 2003 Bessies Award (Television Bureau of Canada) – for Commercial for BMW Mini Canada,2002 Toronto International Film Festival - Best Canadian Movie Poster for “The Hanging Garden”, 2001 Design Excellence Prize - Annual Printer’s Awards, Toronto, 1998 Linotype Font Library – 2 typefaces selected for world distribution, 1994 Works selected for exhibition at Children’s Books Biennale, Barcelona, Spain,1986 Silver Medal – Children’s Book Illustration Biennale, Poland, 1984 Award for Typeface Design – Annual Typeface Design Competiton, Mecanorma, France, 1983 Works selected for Polish Poster Biennale, Katowice, Poland, 1981, Works selected for International Poster Biennale, Warsaw, Poland, 1980, Silver Medal – Polish Poster Biennale, Katowice, Poland, 1979 First prize in the national poster competition for Polish Red Cross – blood donation, Warsaw, 1978
Selected Art Exhibitions Italy: Artists’ Muse, Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts Gallery, 2009 Recent paintings, Towne Square Gallery, Oakville, Canada, 2008 Paintings from series Oplontis, Jacob Gallery, Toronto, Canada, 2008 Art exhibition, PeKaO Gallery, Toronto, Canada, 1991 Art exhibition, Palazzo Frontini, S. Maria Nuova (AN), Italy, 1989 Annual Fine Art Exhibition - Bielska Jesien, 1980
Gallery representation Engine Gallery, Toronto, Canada Towne Square Gallery, Oakville, Canada
