Domicella
Bożekowska

         1965 - 70 she practiced sculpture, drawing, filming, photography and making mosaics. Studied botanics and ecology, which was needed for her creative work in gardening and landscaping, as an autodidact. At the same time, she began to study ethology.

1972 - A meaningful event in her artistic biography was the exhibition “ Keep Off the Green”, because of its innovative form and her engagement in the protection of nature. The exhibition, however, got no reaction from the media, because the subject was taboo in Poland then.

1973-75 - Short study trips to France and England.

In the middle of 1975, she started working as a landscaper in an architectural studio. She put into practice her project of green in a “Szwolezerów” housing estate in Warsaw (General Projectant, Professor of Architecture Halina Skibniewska), awarded the “Mister of Warsaw”, and the “Cube” prizes. Moreover, it was awarded 2nd Prize in the nationwide competition for townscaping project, on invitation of Polish Artists’ Association (ZPAP).

Carrying on this trend of her creation, she took part in some complex landscaping projects, i. a. of zoological and botanical gardens in Wloclawek.

1978 - Exhibition “Public Enemy No. 1”, to defend last surviving wolves of Poland which were endangered with extinction. Thanks the cooperation of similar-minded scholars and journalists, the exhibition got wide publicity. Although her main purpose (total preservation of the species) could not to be attained then, close season was introduced, and the rewards for shooting wolves were cancelled.

1979-81- Educational trips to India & Nepal.

1982 - Emigration to the Federal Republic of Germany, where she started living and working first in Zwingenberg, and then - until now - in Darmstadt.

1986 - Educational journey to China and Mongolia.

                  During the last 10 years she has renewed her contacts with the Polish artistic milieu. Has taken part in some expositions, and produced two exhibitions of her own in Warsaw, 2001 and 2002. The 2002 exhibition was a sort of continuation of her thematic presentations of the ’70ths. Its title,  „Underanimals, Superanimals“, arises from a situation where an animal becomes a victim of superstition, object of idolatry, or - just the opposite - of fearful hatred. Both attitudes continuously result in suffering and harassment of innumerable animals. Almost everywhere in the World an animal still remains an outlaw.

Her last exhibition, held in Darmstadt, was her contribution to the year’s action of the conservationists, declaring the wolf to be the „Animal of the Year 2003“ in Germany; even if it tends to be rather lip service.  She is first a sculptor, but has an excellent drawing talent also. There were two Indian ink drawings of her, getting her last year the place at the international Olympic Exhibition “ARTiade” in Athens. And the competition was rather hard; - from 120 countries came over 3500 entries, and only 172 artists  (from 82 countries) got a place after the second elimination.

Significant realizations:

1965 - Mosaic on the façade of cooperative „Saturn“ in Warsaw (ca. 15 sq. m).

1968 - Mosaic in the „Staszic” mine near Katowice (30 sq. m).

1978/79 - The group „Buffaloes I” in the recreation park in Rusinowa near Walbrzych (stoneware, partially glazed, ca. 4,5 m length).

1985/6 - The group „Buffaloes II” in a Merck family estate in Seeheim-Jugenheim.

 Participation in exhibitions:  Individual exhibitions:

 1964 - 1980 yearly, i. a.:            1962 Warsaw

1967 Vienna, Berlin (East),

 Prague, Sofia

1966 Nancy                              1970 Warsaw („Sculpture in the Garden“)

1967 Nancy                              1971 Warsaw („Fuga“)

1967 Warsaw (Medal)                1972 Warsaw („Keep Off the Green“)

1969 Faenza                             1978 Warsaw („Public Enemy No. 1“)

1970 Arezzo                              1979 Kathmandu

1970 Warsaw (Medal)                1980 New Delhi

1971 Budapest                         1982 Zwingenberg a. d. Bergstrasse

1972 Barcelona                        1983 Hoffnungstal (near Cologne)

1976 Warsaw

(2. & 3. Prize)                           1985 Cologne, Zwingenberg

1983 Landau, Singen, Bonn          1985 Darmstadt

1989 Griesheim                        1986 Darmstadt

1998 Warsaw

1999 Warsaw                   1987 - 1997 permanent exhibition in the

                                              Artist’s atelier in Darmstadt

2000 Warsaw                            2000 Darmstadt („Gartenriesen“)

                                                    2001 Warsaw (Retrospection)

                                               2002 Warsaw („Underanimals, Superanimals“)

2003 Darmstadt („Wolf: Animal of   the Year“)

 2004 - ARTiade - Athens