Paweł Kołodziejski

(b. 1971) – an illustrator and co-creator of comic books.

A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, creator of the Nowe Jeruzalem wall painting in the St Klemens Church in Trzemeśnia and the Bracia franciszkanie wall painting at the Bernardine refectory in Krakow. He also created the stained-glass windows for the chapel in Poręba.

This author’s illustrations are found in many school and grammar books, as well as editions of literary classics, religious books, and many others. They are found in books for young readers: Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (translated by Paweł Łopatka, 2004), The Prince and the Pauper and Huckleberry Finn (both translated by Marcel Tarnowski, 2005), Julian Tuwim’s poems ‘Cuda i dziwy’ (Wonders and Oddities, 2001), Hanna Ożogowska’s ‘Przygody Scyzoryka’ (Adventures of a Penknife, 2002), Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter (2004) and Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (trans. Michał Filipczuk, 2005). He has also illustrated such contemporary publications as: ‘Modlitwa Celtów’ (Prayer of the Celts, 2002) and ‘Krzyż Celtów. Misterium i poezja’ (Cross of the Celts: Mystery and Poetry, 2008) selected by Alina Krajewska, ‘Symbolika stroju subkultur i ruchów kontrkulturowych w okresie PRL’ (The Symbolism of Subculture and Counterculture Clothing in Communist Poland, 2024) by Kinga Trojanowska, ‘Ten dzielny Miś. Wojenne przygody pluszowego niedźwiadka’ (That Valiant Bear: The Wartime Adventures of a Teddy Bear, 2023) by Bohdan Królikowski, ‘Ilustrowany słownik niemiecko-polski, polsko-niemiecki’ (Illustrated Polish-German, German-Polish Dictionary, 2022) by Adrian Golis, ‘Chmura do picia’ (A Cloud for Drinking, 2022) by Alina Duda, ‘Cudowny medalik. Opowieść o świętej Katarzynie Labouré’ (The Marvellous Medallion: A Tale of Saint Catherine Labouré 2009) and ‘Św. Katarzyna ze Sieny. Dziewczynka, która widziała świętych na niebie’ (Saint Catherine of Siena: A Girl Who Saw Saints in the Sky, 2021) by Mary Fabyan Windeatt.

His illustrations focus on key historical events, presenting Polish rulers, and national and religious heroes, giving the reader an interesting journey through history. His graphic novel, ‘Apokalipsa świętego Jana…’ (The Apocalypse According to St John…) joins biblical text with an evocative visual form. These visuals help the reader immerse themselves more fully in St John’s visions. This book encourages meditation, prayer, and a deeper understanding of the Scriptures. The drawings are an added advantage – full of detail and emotion, they make the reading both a spiritual and an aesthetic experience.

For more on Paweł Kołodziejski’s work, see HERE.