page_title: Krzysztof Bednarski
section_title: Sphinx
hierarchical_section_title: Krzysztof Bednarski / Most important works / Sphinx
caption_attribution_description: Polski: Nagrobek Wojciecha Fangora na Cmentarzu Wojskowym na Powązkach. 2017 English: Thumbstone of Wojciech Fangor on Military Cemetery in Warsaw Powązki. 2017
context_page_description: Krzysztof Michał Bednarski is a contemporary Polish-Italian sculptor.
context_section_description: Sphinx  is a sculpture made from matchboxes. The author started to build it in early May 1984 during the economic collapse in Poland. Construction of the Sphinx required acquisition of about ten thousand matchboxes.  At the time this represented an enormous effort, as they were rationed. In an ironic way, the Sphinx was dedicated to great builders from the Pharaohs to Joseph Stalin. The construction of the Sphinx took three months and the artist's mother said at one point: Son, I'm afraid for you, please leave these shitty matchboxes. I talked to your brothers, they will borrow the money and buy a marble block for you so that you can carve something decent. Nevertheless, the sculpture is currently in the Polish Sculpture Center in Orońsko.
caption: Thumbstone of Wojciech Fangor on Military Cemetery in Warsaw Powązki. 2017.
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