Julian Stanczak

JULIAN STANCZAK

[1928-2017, Borownica, Poland/Seven Hills, Ohio]

Julian Stanczak was born in Borownica, Poland. During World War II, Julian spent his teenage years in a Polish refugee camp in Uganda. It was there, in Africa, that he learned to write and was profoundly affected by the African light, the intensely colored sunsets and what he called “the immense visual energy” of the fauna and flora.

At the end of the war, from 1948 to 1950, Julian and his family relocated to the Chekendon Camp outside London, England. He studied book illustration at the Borough Polytechnic Institute. The family emigrated to Cleveland, Ohio in 1950. He studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art and later trained under Josef Albers at Yale University where he received his Master of Fine Arts in 1956. He became a US citizen in 1957.

2026
Where Light Lives:  Visions in Color and Form by Julian & Barbara Stanczak Medici Museum of Art, Warren, Ohio (March 21–July 1)*
Carlos Cruz-Diez and Julian Stanczak: A Difference in Tone - Two Investigations of Color Sicardi | Ayers | Bacino, Houston, Texas (May 2–Jul 3)

2025
Julian Stanczak: Early Masterworks Diane Rosenstein Gallery, Los Angeles, California (February 19–March 29, extended to April 5)*

2024
Sławomir Elsner, Julian Stańczak: DWA ŚWIATŁA (Two Lights) Raster Gallery, Warsaw, Poland (July 13–September 14)

2023
Julian Stanczak: Beyond the Mirror The Mayor Gallery, London, United Kingdom (June 6–July 28)

2022
Julian Stanczak: The Light Inside Diane Rosenstein Gallery, Los Angeles, California (February 5–April 9)

2021
Julian Stanczak: Seriality Mitchell–Innes & Nash, New York, New York (June 4–July 16)*

2019
Julian Stanczak: The Eighties Diane Rosenstein Gallery, Los Angeles, California (September 7–October 19, extended to October 26)
Full Spectrum: Paintings, Drawings and Prints of Julian Stanczak; Wood and Stone Sculptures of Barbara Stanczak Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, Indiana (August 17–November 24)*
Julian Stanczak 499 Park Avenue, New York, New York through Mitchell–Innes & Nash, New York, New York (March 25– September 13, extended to September 28)*
Julian Stanczak: Don’t Talk, Just Look The Mayor Gallery, London, United Kingdom (April 3–May 31)*

2018
Transcendence: Silkscreens by Julian Stanczak and Stone Carvings by Barbara Stanczak Harris Stanton Gallery, Akron, Ohio (June 28–September 22)
Harmonic Duality: Sculpture by Barbara Stanczak and Paintings by Julian Stanczak The Bonfoey Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio (June 23–July 28)*
Julian Stanczak: Dynamic Fields David Richard Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico (February 10–March 17)*

2017
A Magician's Workshop Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio (Nov 2–6) 
Julian Stanczak: Duo Diane Rosenstein Gallery, Los Angeles, California (September 16–October 21)
Julian Stanczak: The Life of the Surface, Paintings 1970–1975 Mitchell–Innes & Nash, New York, New York (May 18–June 24, extended to July 14)*

2016
Organic Forms and Pulsating Lines: Works of Barbara and Julian Stanczak Cummings Art Gallery, Mercyhurst University, Erie, Pennsylvania (November 14–December 18)
Julian Stanczak Diane Rosenstein Gallery, Los Angeles, California (March 19–April 23, extended to April 30)*

2015
Julian and Barbara Stanczak: Color & Form The Bonfoey Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio (November 6, 2015–January 2, 2016)*

2014
Color/Color Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio (November 22, 2014–March 22, 2015) 
Julian Stanczak: From Life Mitchell–Innes & Nash, New York, New York (October 30–December 6)* 
Julian Stanczak: Lineal Pathways David Richard Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico (March 14–April 19)* 
Pushing the Envelope: New Dimensions of Color Part 4 in series of 4 Exhibitions at Kelvin Smith Library Art Gallery, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (April 10–June 6) 
Substance and Illusion Part 3 in series of 4 Exhibitions at Kelvin Smith Library Art Gallery, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (March 5–28)

2013
Through the Looking Glass Part 2 in series of 4 Exhibitions at Kelvin Smith Library Art Gallery, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (December 4, 2013–January 31, 2014) 
The Genesis of Perceptual Art Part 1 in series of 4 Exhibitions at Kelvin Smith Library Art Gallery, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (October 16–November 29) 
Line, Color, Illusion: 40 Years of Julian Stanczak Akron Art Museum, Akron, Ohio (April 13–November 3)*

2012
Julian Stanczak: Grids and Planes David Richard Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico (August 17–September 15)

2011
Julian Stanczak: Elusive Transparencies David Richard Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico (September 1–30)* 
Julian Stanczak: Prints Dennos Museum Center, Northwestern Michigan Colleges, Traverse City, Michigan (January 16–March 27)

2010
Julian Stanczak: Color ∙ Grid Danese Gallery, New York, New York (October 15–November 13)*

2009
Julian Stanczak: Recent Work Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio (September 12, 2009– January 10, 2010)* 
Julian Stanczak: The World of Op Art CB Collection Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan (May 22–September 25)

2008
Julian and Barbara Stanczak:  Parallel Paths ∙ Singular Quest Cleveland Artists Foundation, Beck Center for the Cultural Arts, Lakewood, Ohio (April 4–July 26)*
Julian Stanczak Danese Gallery, New York, New York (March 21–April 26)*

2007
Julian Stanczak, Contemporary Arts Center (CAC), Cincinnati, Ohio (August 3, 2007–February 11, 2008)

2006
Intersecting Pathways: Julian and Barbara Stanczak, Wisconsin Union Galleries, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (August 4–September 19)
Julian Stanczak: Forty Years of Painting, McClain Gallery, Houston, Texas (June 1–July 1)
Julian Stanczak: Constellation Series Paintings, Miami University Art Museum, Oxford, Ohio (January 17–March 26)
Julian Stanczak: Master of Op Art, Eckert Fine Art, Naples, Florida (January 5–24)

2005
Optical Reaction: The Art of Julian Stanczak (50 Year Retrospective), Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield, Ohio (August 27–October 8)
Chroma: Prints by Julian Stanczak, Elevation Art, Cleveland, Ohio (April 22–May 20)
Julian Stanczak: Constellation and Color: Four Decades of Painting, Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, New York (January 15–February 19)

2004
Julian Stanczak: Master of Op Art: Highlights of the Past 40 Years, Stefan Stux Gallery, New York, New York (February 14–March 20)
Julian Stanczak: Op Art Painting, South Texas Institute for the Arts, Corpus Christi, Texas (January 8–February 22)

2003
Julian Stanczak: Op Art Painting, McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas (June 1–August 24)

2002
Julian Stanczak: The Art of Perception, Eckert Fine Art, Naples, Florida (December 5, 2002–January 2, 2003)
Optical Reaction: The Art of Julian Stanczak (50 Year Retrospective), Naples Museum of Art, Naples, Florida (April 9–June 2)
Optical Reaction: The Art of Julian Stanczak (50 Year Retrospective), Washington State University Museum of Art, Pullman, Washington (January 14–February 24)

2001
Julian Stanczak: 50 Year Retrospective, Reinberger Gallery, Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio (August 31–October 7)
Julian Stanczak: Pioneer of Op Art, 50 Year Retrospective, Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California (May 19–July 22)
Julian Stanczak: Decades of Color, Midland Center for the Arts, Midland, Michigan (January 6–March 18)

2000
Julian Stanczak, OP = Visual Poetics: 50 Year Retrospective, Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida (December 7, 2000–February 11, 2001)
Optical Perception: The Art of Julian Stanczak, Asheville Museum of Art, Asheville, North Carolina (August 3–September 24)

1999
Julian Stanczak, Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Ohio (July 24–November 28)

1998
Julian Stanczak: A Retrospective, Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio (March 15–May 3)

1997
Responses to Nature – Responses to Art: Julian & Barbara Stanczak, Cleveland Botanical Gardens, Cleveland, Ohio (April 16–29)

1995
Stanczak: Action–Reaction, Lakeland Community College, Mentor, Ohio (September 5–October 6)
Julian Stanczak: Recent Paintings, Carl Solway Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio (January 20–March 31)

1993
Julian Stanczak: Color = Form, Dennos Museum Center, Traverse City, Michigan (May 8–September 5)

1992
Stanczak, Wasmer Gallery, Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, Ohio (September 11–October 11)
Decades of Light: The Work of Julian Stanczak, David Anderson Gallery, Buffalo, New York (January 4–February 8)

Ackland Art Museum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Akron Art Museum, Akron, Ohio
Albright–Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York
Allentown Art Museum, Allentown, Pennsylvania
American University Museum, Washington, D.C.
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Canada
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 
Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi, Texas
Asheville Art Museum, Asheville, North Carolina
Baum Gallery of Art, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, Arkansas 
Binghampton University Art Museum, Binghampton, New York
Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, Alabama
Blanton Museum of Art, University of Texas, Austin, Texas
Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, Florida
Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York 
Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
Burchfield Penney Art Center, SUNY Buffalo State, Buffalo, New York
Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown, Ohio
Canton Museum of Art, Canton, Ohio
Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati, Ohio 
Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio
Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Ohio
Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas
Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas
David Owsley Museum of Art, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana
Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio
Dennos Museum Center, Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, Michigan 
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan 
Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, California
Flint Institute of Arts, Flint, Michigan
Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California 
Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
Housatonic Museum of Art, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, Indiana 
Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, Michigan 
Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City, Missouri
Kennedy Museum of Art, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 
Kent State University, School of Art Collection and Galleries, Kent, Ohio 
Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois
La Salle University Art Museum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California
Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida
Masur Museum of Art, Monroe, Louisiana
McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, Texas
Memorial Museum of the 2nd Polish Corps in Monte Cassino, Monte Cassino, Italy