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I have been blessed with a gift, one that enables me to take the ordinary and transform it to the extraordinary. I write in the ancestral language of nature, opening a window between worlds.

Minneapolis-based Folk Artist, Pisankarz, Iconographer, John Rajtar, has been celebrating his Polish ancestry through his work. It is through Polish Folk Art that he gives voice to history, culture, tradition and to his soul.

John is a Fine Arts graduate of Winona State University and has studied abroad in Lublin and Krakow Poland. He is a student of the Prosopon School of Iconology under the direction of Vladislav Andrejev. John is a leader of the Minneapolis Iconography study group, teacher at the Duluth and Ely Folk Schools and a member of NEEMA.

John was awarded the Spirit of Powderhorn Art Fair in 2016. In 2016 also he took part in the juried Polish Folk Art show- Jarmark Jagiellonski - Lublin Poland. 2018 International Podcast - Discover Slavic Culture - Polish traditions ( presented in Polish and English). 2018, he embarked on a 6 week Iconography tour throughout Russia. 2024, John had an Art Show, showcasing his life’s work in Polish Folk Art and Iconography at the 801 Gallery in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is currently working on a documentary film, featuring the exhibition.