orn Kazimierz Józef Zielenkiewicz in Sosnowiec, Poland, Caziel was a Polish-born artist whose career spanned some of the most dynamic movements in 20th-century European art. He trained at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Art and became part of the Polish avant-garde before moving to Paris in the 1930s, where he worked alongside leading figures of the School of Paris, including Pablo Picasso.
During the Second World War, Caziel took refuge in southern France, drawing influence from Cézanne’s landscapes and compositional approach. Returning to Paris in 1946, he developed a distinctive form of lyrical Cubism and exhibited at major venues including Galerie Allard, Bernheim-Jeune, and the Salon de Mai. A close associate of Picasso, Le Corbusier, and Brâncuși, he played an active role in the post-war Parisian art scene.
In the 1950s, his work evolved toward pure abstraction, culminating in a series of geometric compositions that prefigured Op Art. After settling permanently in the UK in 1969, Caziel continued to paint and exhibit, with solo shows at the Grabowski Gallery and regular participation in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions. He was naturalised as a British citizen in 1975 and lived in Somerset until his death in 1988.
Caziel’s work is held in major public and private collections, including the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris and the National Museum in Warsaw. His estate is represented by Bridgeman Images through a partnership with Whitford Fine Art, London.
