She comes from Krakow but has lived in New York since 1987. She took up photography as a student. The studies at the Faculty of Architecture at the Krakow University of Technology introduced her into the world of art.

Her adventure with photography began with friendship with Janina Garycka, the co-founder of the Piwnica pod Baranami artistic cabaret. Zosia Żelewska-Bobrowski photographed Mrs Garycka’s lovely set designs for performances and other events such as the famous social and traditional occasions – Jajeczka (Easter Eggs) or Opłatki (Christmas Eve Wafers). It was at the Piwnica premises that she had her first exhibitions.

She studied photography at the New York Institute of Photography, Fashion Institute of Technology and Queens College. She participated in photographic workshops featuring such artists as Lucille Khornak, Jack Reznicki, Francesco Scavullo, Nancy Brown, Ira Lerner and Bob Sacha.

She is a member of the Foreign Press Association and a cofounder of the Polish-American Photographic Club in New York (1988) and currently its honorary member. Mrs Żelewska-Bobrowski is a well-known press and portraits photographer; she has been a regular contributor to “Nowy Dziennik”/ “Polish Daily News” and Kurier Plus since 1988. Her photographs appeared in many publications including Polish magazines (“Pani”, “Twój Styl”, “Viva”, “Rezydencje”, “Gentleman”, “Show”, “Kino”), American (“New York Times”, “Playboy”, “World Literature Today”), German (“Der Spiegel”), and Spanish ones (“Sabado”). Her photographs also appeared in many books, catalogues, posters and CD covers of famous Polish singers including Irena Jarocka, Danuta Rinn, Jerzy Połomski, Andrzej Zieliński.

She is a winner of the 1989 News & Journalism Photo Contest organized by the New York Institute of Photography, and participated in over 30 exhibitions in Poland and in the USA.

She has worked for the Polish-American institutions including the Polish & Slavic Center and the Kościuszko Foundation and is wellknown for her photographic documentation of the cultural and political life of the Polish community in the USA. One of her photos appeared in the promotional brochures of the then Mayor of NYC, Rudy Giuliani.

In 2001 she received a medal for her cooperation with “Polish Daily News” during the exhibition celebrating its 30 years of existence.

In September 2008 the artist received a honorary prize “Zasłużony dla Kultury Polskiej” (Merited for the Polish Culture) awarded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of the Polish Republic on occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Photographic Club.

In October 2008 she was awarded a honorary prize commemorating the celebrations of the Month of the Polish Heritage by the President of the Queens Borough, Mrs Helen Marshall, for documenting the life of the Polish community.

Photography – for me – is the document of the given moment. I love portraits and press photos. In my portraits I am trying to capture beauty and character of man. When I work with camera, I never plan anything beforehand, because one never knows how the model will behave. Above all I am trying to gain their trust. In my press photos I try to seize the right moment, make quick decisions in the changing conditions, while searching for the adequate angle.

Zosia Żeleska-Bobrowski
New York, July 2010

More at www.artphotozosia.com

photo by Zosia Zeleska-Bobrowski