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Sculptor Józef Hulka has died.
We have received sad news. On July 25, Józef Hulka—one of the most outstanding and distinguished folk artists of the Polish Carpathians—passed away in Łękawica, near Żywiec. He undoubtedly earned this distinction through a life spanning a full century—a life deeply devoted to folk culture. This was acknowledged when the Minister of Culture and National Heritage awarded him the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis; the medal was presented during a recent ceremony in his native Łękawica celebrating his 100th birthday. We had the honor of attending that event to offer our heartfelt wishes and gratitude to the jubilarian.
Józef Hulka (1926–2026) was associated with the Sącz museum from 1972, when he took part in the 1st Competition for Contemporary Folk Sculpture of the Polish Carpathians. In the years that followed, he frequently participated in events we organized and visited our museum.
As an artist, he achieved an outstanding level of artistry, evidenced by numerous awards at folk art competitions and exhibitions. Equally significant was the nature of his work and his personal ethos—a profound passion for preserving, through his creations, the heritage and traditions of the folk culture of the Carpathian region, and the Żywiec area in particular. Józef Hulka’s century-long body of work represents a tremendous contribution by this humble, open, and kind-hearted man to what we call regional heritage.
For us, the people of the Sącz region, Józef Hulka held a special place in our hearts, as he spent the years of the wartime occupation in our area after being forced to leave his family home.
As museum professionals from the Sącz region, we express our heartfelt gratitude to the late Józef Hulka for his long-standing friendship, his artistic legacy, and the enrichment of the folk art collection at the Museum of the Sącz Land through his sculptures.
Zbigniew Wolanin
As an artist, he achieved an outstanding level of artistry, evidenced by numerous awards at folk art competitions and exhibitions. Equally significant was the nature of his work and his personal ethos—a profound passion for preserving, through his creations, the heritage and traditions of the folk culture of the Carpathian region, and the Żywiec area in particular. Józef Hulka’s century-long body of work represents a tremendous contribution by this humble, open, and kind-hearted man to what we call regional heritage.
For us, the people of the Sącz region, Józef Hulka held a special place in our hearts, as he spent the years of the wartime occupation in our area after being forced to leave his family home.
As museum professionals from the Sącz region, we express our heartfelt gratitude to the late Józef Hulka for his long-standing friendship, his artistic legacy, and the enrichment of the folk art collection at the Museum of the Sącz Land through his sculptures.
Zbigniew Wolanin