Leszek Zegalski, Tea with the Chimera, Watercolour on Paper, 1999

Born in 1959, Leszek Zegalski is a Polish painter. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts of Katowice, and then joined the School of Fine Arts of Krakow in 1982. He graduated in 1984, and created a group of artists, with two other painters, called the "Bloated Trio". He then moved to Germany, before coming back to Poland. The artist currently lives between Poland and Belgium. Leszek Zegalski's universe has a figurative style, with a predilection for nudes. Women play a main role in the artist's work: He represents her sometimes as from another time, dressed in a style from the beginning of the 20th century, other times with torn jean shorts, which classifies the piece as modern. Leszek Zegalski has gained fame in Europe over the years. In 1988, he received the Grand Prize at the National Exibition of Young Art "Arsenal 88". He has participated in some of the most important artistic events such as BIAF Art Fair in Barcelona, Basel Art Fair and the annual exhibition of figurative painting "Critical Figuration" at the Grand Palais in Paris. His work has been the subject of 200 solo and group exhibitions (mainly with the Bloated Trio) in Poland and abroad, in Germany, Holland, Russia, France, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Great Britain, Japan, Canada and the United States.