Q & A
When and where were you born? Where do you live currently? Do you have any family/children?
The Artist, Bruno Ryszard Stasiak, was born in Zdunska Wola (Poland), on November 9th, 1943. He currently resides in Edmonton, AB (Canada) with his wife Malgorzata. He has four children.
What caused you to immigrate to Canada with your wife and children?
There were many factors, but the most notable two were unjust imprisonment and current situation in my home country (Poland). At the time that Poland was a Communist state, I became a Member of the pro-democratic "Solidarity" Commission in the Zawiercie (Poland) Steelworks factory. When Martial Law was declared in Poland in 1981, Solidarity was outlawed and its members persecuted and imprisoned. I was among the latter.
After my subsequent release from prison, my wife and I were strongly urged to leave Poland, or face further persecution. This was the government's way of saying "leave or you'll continue rotting in prison." As my children were still of young age, we made a choice to leave Poland for Canada - one of the countries sponsoring political refugees at the time. Having been given a "one-way passport" by the Communist government, we finally arrived in Canada, in January 1984. As a staunch patriot, my Solidarity-related activities did not stop once I left Poland. Soon after arriving in Canada, I became one of the founding members of the "Emmigration with Solidarity - Solidarity with Emmigration."- an organization which hoped to help other immigrants like ourselves establish ourselves in our new country.
Other than art, what are some of your contributions to the Province of Alberta?
As a professional engineer, I have spent over 20 years working on various special projects for a local (Edmonton) corporation, "Inspira Manufacturing Co." Furthermore, I have created numerous artistic displays for various public functions and special events commissioned by the Polish community and the Canadian-Polish Congress.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I keep busy whenever possible, but there are a few activities which I try to do consistently. One of them is carving in wood and marble. It sounds suspiciously like 'work', but to me - it is a great way to relax. Another favorite past time is attending weekly choir practice. Finally, I love to travel - so I try to get away whenever I can. In the very least, I attempt to take walks with my wife around Lake Beaumaris - a beautiful man-made water reservoir located near a community where I live. And if the opportunity presents itself - I seek refuge in taking longer holidays (Cuba, Mexico, Carribean islands) - I cannot recommend it enough, for those who want to go somewhere to completely relax and unwind. Some of my best inspirations came from the places I've visited on my holiday travels.
Where can one find your artistic works?
My works, based mostly on various religious themes, can be found in several Alberta churches (for example, St. Luke's Parish in Calgary), as well as in select private collections in Canada and Germany.
Do you have a question to ask that has not been addressed above?
Please feel free to contact me and I will do my best to answer whatever inquiries you might have.