Polish-born Rafal Olbinski has made his artistic presence felt in Bangkok, putting on a show of surreal posters that defy the imagination. It's difficult to characterise his art, which is at once classical and surreal. A true master, he weaves reality and illusion into powerful imageries.

A Washington Post critic once described his works as poetry in colours.

Any way you put it, Olbinski is sincere to his art. You can sense that he tries to reach for the highest ideals by exploring the mysteries of the human soul.

There is not a shred of evidence that he has ever tried to please the public with what's fashionable. He makes use of subtle symbols and metaphors that stir the imagination.

His posters may look controversial, but they are not pretentious. His art is grounded firmly in the European classic, to which he adds fresh and imaginative elements to convey a modern message.

Last Wednesday, as the fourth World Film Festival of Bangkok got underway at Siam Paragon, Polish Ambassador Bogdan Goralczyk proudly introduced Olblinski to the Thai crowd.

The diplomat has been quite active in promoting Polish culture in this country.

"There are three treasures in Poland's cinematography - film legend Krzysztof Kieslowski, filmmaker Roman Polanski and artist Rafal Oblinski," he proclaimed.

No only do Bangkokians now have an opportunity to watch Polish magic on celluloid, they can also enjoy more than 30 of Oblinski's posters at Siam Paragon Hall until next Monday.

Oblinski is also a member of the festival jury.

A product of post-war Poland, Oblinski grew up in a conservative family in the small town of Kielce, between Krakow and Warsaw.

He read the classics, Russian literature and other translated works before leaving his home to study architecture at Warsaw University. But he wouldn't have the chance to practise architecture, because he fell in love with painting and drawing.

He spent his bohemian years in Warsaw developing his art, falling under the spell of Bruno Schulz and Francesco Goya in particular.

In 1981, he was in participating in a New York show and found himself at a political crossroads. When martial law was declared in Poland, he decided to stay on in New York. Within a year, he was able to survive on his own and soon made a name as a prominent illustrator, painter and designer.

He landed a job at the New York Times, and later came up with ideas for Newsweek's covers.

His work has also appeared in Time, Business Week, Playboy, The New Yorker and Der Spiegel.

His paintings are sold through galleries and there are pieces at the Smithsonian Institute and the Library of Congress in Washington DC, the Carnegie Foundation and National Arts Club in New York and numerous private collections around the world.

"I am like a sponge. I absorb everything in life. I travel a lot and learn about everything," he says.

For Olbinski, reality and illusion frequently merge seamlessly.

Some people say he is a modern-day Salvador Dali since his posters have a similar sense of parody and poetic humour.

In his book "Rafal Olbinski Women: Motifs and Variations", a collection of his paintings of women is brought together as a display of his insight into the nature of females.

Most men think they know women well, but browsing through his collection, you quickly realise how little you know about them.

Through his fantastic paintings and posters, Olbinski reveals a myriad of realities and illusions behind the nature of women - erotic, treacherous, romantic, loveable, thoughtful, serene, reserved, envious.

His works represent a celebration of womankind, which brings happiness, suffering, hope and despair to our world. There are plenty of nudes in his paintings and he is able to artfully exploit nudity to the limit. Never do they look obscene. With women as the mother of all creation, he uses other elements - ladders, horses, birds and bird nests, ships, dead trees, blue skies and windows - to convey emotions.

His paintings always attract your eye immediately, creating a powerful impression that totally consumes you. The paintings look one-dimensional, similar to the murals created by Thai artists.

Olbinski acknowledges that his work as a poster artist influences his style, since he needs to capture the audience's attention immediately.

He has created more than 500 works and won more than 150 awards, including the International Oscar for the World's Most Memorable Poster Prix Savignac in Paris and the Creative Review Award for the Best of British Illustration in London.

In 1995 his entry was chosen as the official "New York City - Capital of the World Poster".

If you think you know women well, go see Olbinski's posters, and get a fresh idea about how little you do know.

Rafal Olbinski's posters are on display at Siam Paragon Hall until October 23.

Thanong Khanthong

The Nation