The mural was unveiled on Tuesday on a side wall of a tenement building at 50 Kijowska Avenue in Kraków. Commemorative plaques dedicated to Wajda and his wife, Krystyna Zachwatowicz-Wajda, were also unveiled on benches in the Planty park.
The mural, titled Wajda in Black and White (Wajda czarno na białym) and created by Bartosz Podlewski, won a competition organised as part of the Year of Andrzej Wajda.
Wajda's wife praised the work at the unveiling, saying she was moved to see it and pleased that residents and passers-by would be able to view it regularly.
“We have a lot of monuments in Kraków, and we often walk past them quite indifferently. But as people who live in a visual culture, murals speak to us more strongly,” said Kraków's acting mayor, Stanisław Kracik.
The competition attracted 28 entries, of which 27 were assessed by the jury. The jury praised the winning design for its inventive combination of Wajda's portrait and references to his films.
The mural depicts Wajda with a camera, surrounded by the titles of films he directed and their release dates. According to its creator, the minimalist black-and-white palette and illustrative style give the mural a lightness and timeless character.
The plaques on benches at Piotr Skrzynecki Square in the Planty were described by city authorities as recognition of the artistic achievements of Wajda and his wife, as well as their ties to Kraków.
Wajda was one of Poland's most distinguished film and theatre directors and an Oscar laureate for lifetime achievement. Kraków held a special place in his life and artistic career. His wife, Krystyna Zachwatowicz-Wajda, is a respected stage designer and costume designer who collaborated on many of his films and theatre productions, including The Wedding (Wesele).
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Source: PAP