He was an architect, photographer, sculptor, and graphic artist. However, he owes his popularity to painting. His works could be admired at exhibitions in France, Belgium, Germany, and Japan. Zdzisław Beksiński cannot be mistaken with any other artist and it is difficult to ascribe his works to one specific style. It effectively escapes the established canons, although its characteristic element is surreal, sinister aesthetics, which has permanently entered popular culture.
The painter’s life was as unusual and dark as his paintings. Although Beksiński himself was regarded as a warm and friendly man, the disturbing art he created seemed to reflect the tragic fate of him and his family.
He was born in Sanok in 1929. He was the only child of Stanisław and Maria Beksiński. His father was a geometric engineer, his mother a teacher and a painter. During the German occupation, Zdzisław was educated in the underground school system. Initially, he planned to study at the Academy of Fine Arts or a film school. However, his father persuaded him to study at the Faculty of Architecture in Cracow. There he fell in love with Zofia, a student of Romance studies, who would remain his faithful companion.
Zofia patiently puts up with Zdzisław’s difficult character. For some time she supports him financially, stops attending church for him, and becomes his model so that he can freely pursue his bizarre fantasies and ideas for photographs. Eventually, she gave up her ambitions for the sake of family life.
Beksiński didn’t like children. However, the couple had a son, Tomasz. Tomasz, just like his parents, was an eccentric showing a keen interest in culture and art. He became a respected music critic, radio presenter, and translator. At a very early age, he became fascinated with… death. As a teenager, he posted his obituary all over town. He thought it was an excellent joke. Two years after the incident he made his first suicide attempt. He later made several more. He struggled with depression for many years. On Christmas Eve 1999, he took his own life, having previously said goodbye to his listeners during his last broadcast.
A year earlier, after a long illness, Zofia died of an aortic aneurysm. It was a huge blow for Beksiński. He himself was murdered in his apartment in 2005. He was stabbed 17 times.
There was talk about the “Beksiński family curse”. The macabre paintings combined with a series of tragic events in the painter’s private life have given rise to a dark legend. The complicated relations of the Beksiński family were depicted in the critically acclaimed film ‘The Last Family’.
17 years have passed since his death, however, his works still gain new fans and inspire new generations. In 2021, the Bloober Team studio released the video game The Medium in which the world refers to Beksiński’s works and a year later the board game Nightmare Cathedral, which directly refers to the paintings of the tragically deceased painter, had its premiere.
