“Art has the power to outlast everything, even the strongest empires.”
— Jan Matejko
Matejko lived in a time when Poland had been erased from the map for over a century, partitioned between Russia, Prussia, and Austria. He picked up a brush instead of a weapon. His enormous canvases kept the memory of an entire civilization alive when governments tried to erase it. He proved that what you create can outlast what others destroy.
I was born in a country that did not exist on any map. Poland was divided between three empires. I was a poor student, failed at most subjects, could never learn a foreign language. But I could paint. I spent my life creating canvases so large they filled walls, showing moments when my people were great. Critics attacked me. My health destroyed me. I died at 55. But the paintings survived every war, every occupation. What you make with your hands can outlast everything that tries to erase you.