Zieta Illustrated, Polish Design and Illustrations in New York

Name: Zieta Illustrated, Polish Design and Illustrations in New York
Start: 2026-05-15T00:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-07-17T00:00:00+02:00
Location: The Pilecki Institute in New York, Small gallery, floor 2

We are pleased to announce that from 15 May to 17 July 2026, the Pilecki Institute in Manhattan will host the exhibition Zieta Illustrated — an interdisciplinary presentation of Polish design and illustration, prepared in collaboration with the Polish Cultural Institute in New York.

Realised as part of NYCxDESIGN, the exhibition marks a key stage in the development of the project and its most comprehensive international presentation to date.

The exhibition is part of a project ”Zieta Studio: Polish Design and Illustrations at New York City Design Week and the ICFF 2026 Trade Fair” co-financed by funds from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage under the Institute of Creative Industries’ program Development of Creative Sectors.

ZIETA ILLUSTRATED

The Pilecki Institute in New York

Small gallery, floor 2

Exhibition period: 15 May – 17 July 2026

Open on weekdays: 10 am - 4 pm

Free admission

photo: Katarzyna Bogucka

On lines, colors, and emotions

The exhibition “Zieta Illustrated” brings together Oskar Zięta’s metal objects with their individual illustrated interpretations, creating a multidimensional dialogue between image and form. It is a story about how technology can become an artistic language, and illustration a tool for reinterpreting objects.

photo: Katarzyna Bogucka

photo: Katarzyna Bogucka

The project is rooted in the idea of connecting disciplines — art, design, engineering and technology. This interdisciplinary approach forms the foundation of the project and a platform for promoting the quality and creativity of Polish artists internationally.

J-Chair photo: Zasoby Studio

photo: Ola Dobrzyńska

Technology as a language of expression

At Zieta Studio, we bring these fields together daily through the development of our proprietary FiDU technology, which enables steel to be deformed with the use of internal air pressure. This process, described by Oskar Zięta as a “controlled loss of control,” allows the material a degree of autonomous deformation, resulting in ultralight, durable forms—functional, sculptural, and constructional.

G-Console

photo: Karol Banach

G-Table photo: Weronika Trojanowska

Parova Table photo: Szymon Jędrzejewski/Alex Iwański/Julia Leus

The power of connection

A strong commitment to interdisciplinarity and openness to process led naturally to collaboration with illustrators—artists working with the language of emotion, color, and visual reduction. This gave rise to the Zieta Illustrated project, in which iconic objects by Oskar Zięta were interpreted by leading Polish illustrators. The resulting works form a series of limited-edition prints that redefine the objects, giving them new meanings and new functions.

“We like challenges, and we like to connect. Therefore, we initiated the Zieta Illustrated project, whose goal is to support young artists, combine disciplines, and tell stories together.”

— Oskar Zięta, project founder

photo: Paweł Szlotawa

Among the invited artists are: Karol Banach, Edgar Bąk, Katarzyna Bogucka, Ola Dobrzyńska, Iza Dudzik, Kuba Ferenc, Joanna Gniady, Malwina Hajduk, Ada Jarzębowska, Jakub Kamiński, Agata Królak, Paweł Mildner, Marian Misiak, Anna Niemierko, Maciej Polak, Paweł Smardzewski, Paweł Szlotawa and Asia Wójtowicz.

photo: Paweł Szlotawa

photo: Joanna Gniady

Chippensteel Chair photo: Zasoby Studio

photo: Edgar Bąk

A traveling, multidimensional concept

The origins of the project date back to 2014 and Oskar Zięta’s collaboration with Marian Misiak on graphic design for a publication dedicated to the 3+ furniture system. The outcome of this cooperation included not only illustrations but also the now-iconic FiDU Alphabet—steel letterforms and the Maria1 typeface. An early example of visual storytelling around Zięta’s objects was also the animation Ultraleggera, dedicated to the world’s lightest chair.

Ultraleggera Chair photo: Ernest Wińczyk

photo: Edgar Bąk

photo: Iza Dudzik

photo: Marta Więcek, Alek Rokosz

“The New York edition represents a mature stage of the project. The exhibition at the Pilecki Institute not only presents objects and illustrations, but creates an experience — one that engages both visual and tactile perception.”

— Oskar Zięta

Illustrated exhibitions

Over time, Zieta Illustrated has evolved into a flexible exhibition concept that can be adapted to different spaces and contexts. The project develops through institutional exhibitions, trade fair presentations, publications, and digital formats. Previous editions have been presented at the Institute of Industrial Design in Warsaw, the Wrocław Town Hall, and the LUMAS Gallery in Toronto.

Plopp photo: Ada Jarzębowska

photo: Paweł Mildner

Ultraleggera Stool photo: Weronika Trojanowska

photo: Paweł Smardzewski

photo: Jakub Musialski

photo: Paweł Smardzewski

Touching forms and stories

The Zieta Illustrated exhibition at the Pilecki Institute will have a distinctive tactile dimension—each object can be explored through touch using its three-dimensional model. This solution has been designed for audiences with visual impairments, extending the experience beyond traditional visual perception. Informational materials will be available in Braille and in large print, complemented by an online audio guide.

Blade photo: courtesy of Hawrot

photo: Karol Banach

Bolid photo: Marta Więcek, Alek Rokosz

photo: Jakub Kamiński

Bolid photo: Ernest Wińczyk

photo: Maliwna Hajduk

How does air sculpt steel?

The exhibition will be accompanied by special events, including a meeting with Oskar Zięta and a live FiDU deformation demonstration—a performative and educational experience that brings the idea of “less is less” closer to the audience, emphasizing the reduction of weight, energy, and material usage, while revealing how air becomes a structural tool.

Triglav photo: Photo/furniture: zasoby/zielinski_interior. Project: Damian Kozłowski/Katarzyna Fiedorczuk

photo: Maciej Polak

Tafla O Mirror photo: Weronika Trojanowska

photo: Kuba Ferenc

A space for dialogue

Zieta Illustrated in New York is a platform for international and cross-sector collaboration. It is a story about potential—about how technology can become an artistic medium, an illustration, a way for interpreting form, and exhibitions a space for dialogue and contemporary cultural communication.

photo: Weronika Trojanowska

photo: Joanna Gniady

Rondo Mirror photo: Weronika Trojanowska

Crash Vase photo: Enen Studio

photo: Kuba Ferenc

photo: Asia Wójtowicz

The exhibition is part of the NYCxDESIGN 2026 Festival.

The exhibition is part of a project ”Zieta Studio: Polish Design and Illustrations at New York City Design Week and the ICFF 2026 Trade Fair” co-financed by funds from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage under the Institute of Creative Industries’ program Development of Creative Sectors, and supported by project partners: the Pilecki Institute in New York and the Polish Cultural Institute New York.