Galeria Barak, Czarna: Bieszczady ceramics and workshops

Galeria Barak in the village of Czarna near Ustrzyki Dolne is the first private art gallery in the Bieszczady, and its story deserves telling. In the early 1990s a barrack typical of the Bieszczady of that time stood in the centre of Czarna, a relic of the heyday of the state farm “Igloopol”. No business lasted long there: neither a grocery, a cobbler nor a second-hand shop. In 1994 it was bought by Krzysztof and Róża Franczak, young newcomers whose entire belongings, as they say, fitted into two backpacks. Krzysztof carved, Róża painted, and they needed a place to show and sell their work. The name was obvious: what else do you call a barrack? Today people in the Bieszczady simply say “I was at Barak”, “I bought it at Barak”.

From the start the gallery has been open to Bieszczady artists, art-school graduates and self-taught alike: Barak's makers include teachers, a lumberjack, an art historian and a philosopher. Krzysztof, who came from Szczecin in 1990, first carved figures from folk tales and Leśmian's poetry out of resinous pine-stump heartwood, then turned to ceramics. Róża paints vanished Bieszczady Orthodox churches in her own technique modelled on old sepia photographs, paints on glass, works in theatre and makes ceramics. In their own studio the couple make tableware and decor by hand, with no mass production; in-glaze painting makes the pieces dishwasher-proof. In 2024 the gallery began its thirtieth year.

Why go

• Buy a unique piece made in the Bieszczady: ceramics, Bieszczady angels, carvings, paintings, jewellery, clothes with Boyko-inspired patterns, icons.
• The “Ceramic collages” workshop: decorate a porcelain mug, plate or cup using ready-made patterns; no experience needed, any age, ideal for families after a day in the hills.
• The “Charm of the cup” workshop for ages 12+: work with oxides, ceramic pigments and underglaze paints on bisque and raw glaze; the pieces are kiln-fired.
• Glass painting, a traditional folk technique painted “in reverse”: details first, background last.

What to buy

Most recognisable are the mugs, cups, bowls and platters in coloured glazes that the studio varies every year, plus ceramic and wooden angels. Workshop pieces can often be collected the next day (the full cycle takes up to 5–7 days) or shipped.

Practical information

Address: Czarna 88, 38-710 Czarna, in the village centre where the Small and Great Bieszczady Loops meet, opposite a playground. Hours: daily 10:00–18:00; from October to April phone ahead. Workshops (booking required with Róża, +48 603 992 119): “Ceramic collages” every Thursday at 16:00, 90 zł; “Charm of the cup” every Thursday at 14:00, 100 zł; glass painting every Tuesday at 15:00, 70 zł. Dates and prices for organised groups by arrangement. Other phone: +48 605 055 454.

Nearby

• The Bieszczadzka Koza goat dairy in Smolnik.
• St Michael's church in Smolnik, a UNESCO site.
• The Ursa Maior brewery in Uherce Mineralne.
• Hucul horse stables and an old oil well around Czarna.

Official website: barak.art.pl

Photos: barak.art.pl.