MENU

ACCESSIBILITY TOOLS

Adress
location

Gliwicka 58 1

Artist
artist

Andrzej Wieteszka

Artist
year of creation

2018

The mural dedicated to Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król is located on the side wall of a tenement house at 58 Gliwicka Street in the Załęże district of Katowice. The large-format mural was unveiled on November 28, 2018, as part of a nationwide campaign by "Wysokie Obcasy" titled "Women on Walls," accompanying the poll for the Polish Woman of the Century.

The author of the project is illustrator and graphic designer Andrzej Wieteszka. The composition is maintained in a vivid, comic book style inspired by pop art. Black outlines, white, and warm shades of purple and yellow create the background for the portrait of a young doctor, depicted as she looked in the 1970s. The silhouettes of children surrounding her reference her work and struggle for the health of the youngest residents of the industrial districts of Katowice. The whole is complemented by the slogan "Women know what they are doing."

The mural recalls the story of a doctor who opposed the silence surrounding the mass lead poisoning of children living near the "Szopienice" Non-Ferrous Metals Plant. The work is not only a portrait of a specific person but also a story about courage, responsibility, and medicine understood as a service to others.

Dr. Jolanta Wadowska-Król was a paediatrician who conducted research on childhood illnesses in Szopienice and the surrounding areas from 1974 to 1981. Thanks to her determination, thousands of young patients were examined, the scale of lead poisoning was revealed, and many families were relocated from contaminated buildings to new apartments. For her dedication and care for the children, she earned the title of "Our Lady of Szopienice" among the residents.

If you have additional information about this mural, please contact us here.