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Henry Orlik is the focus of The Lost Surrealist: Henry Orlik’s Quantum Revolution, now on display at Museum & Art Swindon.
The exhibition has gone on display for the first time at Museum & Art Swindon and features a selection of paintings and works on paper from private lenders.
Orlik’s family arrived in England in 1948 after fleeing post-war Europe.
He studied at the Swindon School of Art between 1963 and 1966 and rose to prominence in the 1970s, exhibiting alongside surrealist icons such as René Magritte and Salvador Dalí.
Guest curator Grant Ford of Winsor Birch said: “In forty years in the art world, I have never encountered anything like Henry Orlik’s work.
“It is so intense and skilful and so rich in meaning.
“These paintings are so unique and mind-bogglingly good.”
Orlik developed a technique he called ‘quantum painting’—a labour-intensive process using thousands of spiralled, microscopic brushstrokes.
Each mark represents what Orlik calls “a cosmic spirit that vitalises all things, giving life and growth to nature, movement to water, and energy to man.”
Major works such as Eroded Castle (1980-84) and Fighting Skyscrapers, NYC (1982) took up to a year to complete, often requiring daily sessions of up to 18 hours.
Councillor Marina Strinkovsky, cabinet member for placemaking and planning at Swindon Borough Council, said: “This exhibition showcases incredible work that’s never been on display before in a public museum.
“Orlik is one of Swindon’s least well-known artists and I’m happy that he is getting a show at the museum where anyone can see his work for free.”
The exhibition also features a newly acquired painting, Eggs unattached from the Sun, which was added to the Museum & Art Swindon collection through the Contemporary Arts Society.
Mr Orlik was born in Ankum, Germany, in 1947 to Polish and Belarusian parents.
After the war, his family moved between different camps before settling in Swindon in 1959.
His artistic career began gaining attention in the early 1970s, with a solo show at London’s Surrealist Art Centre at age 25 and a piece included in the 1971 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.
The Lost Surrealist: Henry Orlik’s Quantum Revolution is open now at Museum & Art Swindon in the Civic Offices and runs until March 14, 2026.
The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday and admission is free.
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