My fascination with wood did not diminish and in 1989 I began education at the building school in Zakopane under the supervision of a master, Boleslaw Karpiel-Bulecka, and in his “artistic chamber” called “pod Lipkami”.
I was shown where to derive inspiration from - the richness of mountain nature and our minuteness in it. I have learnt what to do with a barren plank to create a piece of furniture which I have seen earlier in my imagination, later on in a drawing and finally as a finished product. The master, Boleslaw, used to say: “…there sits a slimy creature in this pank and you know - there is going to be a dog out of it …”.

After the so called liberation in 1998 I established my own woodworking shop to continue and develop the art of my ancestors - the creators of the Podhale heritage. In my woodworking shop I make furniture from solid wood, making explicit reference to the woodworking tradition and the whole richness of decorative and woodcarver’s forms that can be found in the Skalne Podhale (style of Zakopane). Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, I try to combine traditional forms with new technologies, creating a new character of furniture (utility furniture) that delights the eye and harks back to my highland-style school. Each and every piece of furniture is custom-built and is 95% my original design.

If you are looking for a piece of furniture that is not just a piece of utility furniture but beautiful in its form with “the soul of a highlander”, you are cordially invited to my woodworking shop.

Janusz Stopa-Karolow
Master Craftsman from the Podhale