Rafal Olbinski
Encyclopedia
Rafal Olbinski immigrated to the United States in 1981, where he soon established himself as a prominent painter, illustrator and designer. For his artistic achievements, he has received more than 150 awards including Gold and Silver Medals from the Art Directors Club of New York, Gold and Silver Medals from the Society of Illustrators in New York and Los Angeles, and The Big Crit 2000 award by Critique Magazine in San Francisco. In 1994 he was awarded the International Oscar for The World’s Most Memorable Poster, Prix Savignac in Paris. The President of the Republic of Poland awarded Olbinski the highest award in the field of arts, the gold medal, “Gloria Artist.”
In the same year he received the Creative Review Award for the Best of British Illustration in London. In 1995 his poster was chosen as the official New York City Capital of the World Poster in an invitational competition by a jury led by Mayor Rudolf Giuliani. In the following year he won the Steven Dohanos Award for the best painting in the Annual Member Exhibition of the Society of Illustrators. In July 2002 the City of Fondi, Italy awarded him Divina Giulia for his contribution to contemporary art.
In the same year he received the Creative Review Award for the Best of British Illustration in London. In 1995 his poster was chosen as the official New York City Capital of the World Poster in an invitational competition by a jury led by Mayor Rudolf Giuliani. In the following year he won the Steven Dohanos Award for the best painting in the Annual Member Exhibition of the Society of Illustrators. In July 2002 the City of Fondi, Italy awarded him Divina Guilia for his contribution to contemporary art.
Rafal Olbinski’s paintings are included in the collections of the National Arts Club in New York, the Smithsonian Institution
and the Library of Congress in Washington, Suntory Museum in Osaka, Japan, and others throughout Europe and the United States.
In 1996 he was commissioned by the U.S. Information Agency to design a poster celebrating the 25th Earth Day Anniversary. From 2002 through 2010, a selection of Olbinski paintings was included in the Grand Space projection in Grand Central Terminal, as a highlight of the Earth Day Celebration in New York. The other artists featured in the show are Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Raushenberg, and Andy Warhol.
In 2001, the Willy-Brandt House in Berlin presented the works of Rafal Olbinski in a one man retrospective exhibition entitled “Art at the Turn of the Century”
In 2002 his set design debut for the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni was highly acclaimed by critics in the New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer. In the same year the “Art with Moral Purpose” at the Goethe Institute in Hamburg exhibited the paintings and posters of Olbinski.
Olbinski was commissioned to create several paintings illustrating articles and essays on moral values, which appeared in seven consecutive issues of the German magazine Stern. This led to a traveling exhibition of these paintings, the first hosted by the wife of the President of Germany, Eva Louise Köeh
In 2008 Olbinski had a one man exhibition titled “Olbinski - Photokina Expo” for Hewlett Packard (Cologne, Germany). In 2009 he had a large museum exhibition at The Jule Collins Smith Museum in Auburn entitled “New Dreams of Old Values”.
He has completed many large murals for installations in public space in Europe as well as more than 100 opera images for CD covers for Allegro-Music’s Opera D’Oro Series.
Rafal Olbinski is represented by Patinae,Inc. www.patinae.com
In the same year he received the Creative Review Award for the Best of British Illustration in London. In 1995 his poster was chosen as the official New York City Capital of the World Poster in an invitational competition by a jury led by Mayor Rudolf Giuliani. In the following year he won the Steven Dohanos Award for the best painting in the Annual Member Exhibition of the Society of Illustrators. In July 2002 the City of Fondi, Italy awarded him Divina Giulia for his contribution to contemporary art.
In the same year he received the Creative Review Award for the Best of British Illustration in London. In 1995 his poster was chosen as the official New York City Capital of the World Poster in an invitational competition by a jury led by Mayor Rudolf Giuliani. In the following year he won the Steven Dohanos Award for the best painting in the Annual Member Exhibition of the Society of Illustrators. In July 2002 the City of Fondi, Italy awarded him Divina Guilia for his contribution to contemporary art.
Rafal Olbinski’s paintings are included in the collections of the National Arts Club in New York, the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
and the Library of Congress in Washington, Suntory Museum in Osaka, Japan, and others throughout Europe and the United States.
In 1996 he was commissioned by the U.S. Information Agency to design a poster celebrating the 25th Earth Day Anniversary. From 2002 through 2010, a selection of Olbinski paintings was included in the Grand Space projection in Grand Central Terminal, as a highlight of the Earth Day Celebration in New York. The other artists featured in the show are Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Raushenberg, and Andy Warhol.
In 2001, the Willy-Brandt House in Berlin presented the works of Rafal Olbinski in a one man retrospective exhibition entitled “Art at the Turn of the Century”
In 2002 his set design debut for the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s performance of Mozart’s Don Giovanni was highly acclaimed by critics in the New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer. In the same year the “Art with Moral Purpose” at the Goethe Institute in Hamburg exhibited the paintings and posters of Olbinski.
Olbinski was commissioned to create several paintings illustrating articles and essays on moral values, which appeared in seven consecutive issues of the German magazine Stern. This led to a traveling exhibition of these paintings, the first hosted by the wife of the President of Germany, Eva Louise Köeh
In 2008 Olbinski had a one man exhibition titled “Olbinski - Photokina Expo” for Hewlett Packard (Cologne, Germany). In 2009 he had a large museum exhibition at The Jule Collins Smith Museum in Auburn entitled “New Dreams of Old Values”.
He has completed many large murals for installations in public space in Europe as well as more than 100 opera images for CD covers for Allegro-Music’s Opera D’Oro Series.
Rafal Olbinski is represented by Patinae,Inc. www.patinae.com