Objects

The textile, created by Krystyna Wojtyna-Drouet, is one of several in which the artist produced scenes from the Old Testament, featuring figures such as Moses and King Solomon. According to the artist, this subject matter stemmed from her interest in ancient culture, philosophy, and religion.

The iconographic motif of the textile “Fruits from the Tree of Good and Evil Knowledge” derives from the Book of Genesis (Hebrew: Bereshit). The invocation of the story of the Tree in Eden is in line with a broader search for shared foundations of Jewish and Christian cultures.

The history of the Jewish community was etched into the artist’s memory through a particularly tragic image which, many years later, she recalled:

“In my life, the history of Polish Jews marked itself with the image of a burning ghetto. As a teenage girl, I lived in Warsaw near Fort Mokotowski and, from a distance, I saw the terrible fire, the entire sky crimson as the Jewish district burned. This horrifying image cannot be forgotten.”

(Excerpt from a letter by Krystyna Wojtyna-Drouet, 17th October 2013,

in: I Bring an Object, I Bring a Story, Warsaw 2016, pp. 264–265.)

Wojtyna-Drouet is one of the artists who helped shape the movement known as the “Polish school of tapestry”. She has exhibited her works at numerous shows around Europe, in North America, and South America, including the International Tapestry Biennial in Lausanne.

Her textiles are distinguished by the frequent use of a coarse weave made from wool, which she has dyed herself. Her knowledge of dyeing techniques, as well as her personal involvement in the dyeing process, is an important element of her artistic practice.

ML