CF 115

Born in Warsaw in 1911, expressionist painter Josef Herman was the co-founder of Poland’s first left-wing artists’ group, Phrygian Cap, but was forced to flee the country as a refugee in 1940. He eventually settled in Wales in the mining village of Ystradgynlais, which strongly influenced his work – richly coloured still lifes, portraits and landscapes exploring themes such as the dignity of labor and the human spirit. He died in 2000, still active as a painter, with his work represented in private and public collections all over the world.