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

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 and the Pilecki Institute in New York. As part of NYCxDESIGN, the exhibition marks a key stage in the project and is its most comprehensive international presentation to date.

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

Ultraleggera Chair photo: Edgar Bąk

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.

Ultraleggera Chair photo: Ernest Wińczyk

J-Chair 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

G-Console 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

Karava Vase photo: Asia Wójtowicz

“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

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.

Karava Vase photo: Julia Leus

Lampin photo: Paweł Smardzewski

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: Jakub Musialski

Chippensteel Chair photo: Joanna Gniady

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.

Chippensteel Chair photo: Zasoby Studio

Tafla O Mirror photo: Maciej Polak

“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.

Tafla O Mirror photo: Weronika Trojanowska

Ultraleggera Chair photo: Paweł Mildner

Ultraleggera Stool photo: Weronika Trojanowska

Crash Vase photo: Enen Studio

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.

Crash Vase photo: Kuba Ferenc

Rondo Mirror photo: Joanna Gniady

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.

Rondo Mirror photo: Weronika Trojanowska

Triglav photo: Maliwna Hajduk

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.

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

Sonar Mirror photo: Anna Niemierko

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.

The exhibition is part of the NYCxDESIGN 2026 Festival.

Sonar Mirror photo: Lauren Coleman