On October 4th Professor Bronisław Chromy, famous Polish artist creating sculptures, medals, paintings and drawings, has passed away. All his life he had a strong connection with Krakow and Krakow Film Festival. Since the beginning of our festival our winners were honoured with characteristic statuettes created by Professor Chromy: Dragons and Hobby-Horses, and for the last 20 years – Dragon of Dragons, the award given by the KFF Programme Council to distinguish significant influence on the development of the world cinema.
It’s the end of an era. Professor Chromy created the statuettes 57 years ago and through all this time he was making them himself. During the half of the century an army of the lucky ones raised throughout the world, a few hundred of the festival winners who store in their homes a piece of Bronisław Chromy’s work. It is hard to imagine the Dragon of Dragons award ceremony without this distinctive and unique figure.
Says Festival Director, Krzysztof Gierat.
Professor Bronisław Chromy was born in 1925 in Leńcze near Lanckorona. In 1956 he graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. His professor was Xawery Dunikowski. Chromy was also a member of the Polish Academy of Learning. In 2009 he was awarded the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.
Krakow is full of Professor Chromy’s works, from Nowa Huta through Wawel Hill and Planty Park to Park of Decjusz and many many more less eminent places. Each time the statuettes made by the Professor were arriving at the KFF office, it was an unmistakable sign that the next edition of the festival will begin shortly.
Dear Professor, goodbye and thank you. You will be very much missed.