Iconic Polish painter, photographer, and sculptor Zdzisław Beksiński, a pioneer of Polish contemporary art, is remembered for his contribution to the genre of dystopian surrealism. While he initially studied architecture, Beksiński later began his career as a construction site supervisor and worked as a bus designer, too. Soon, bored of his day jobs, he began focusing on sculpting and photography. He later devoted himself to painting, mostly showcasing dark, macabre, and grotesque elements such as death and decay. His career as an artist can be divided into two segments: the “fantastic” phase (the 1960s and the 1970s) and the “gothic” phase (from the 1980s). While in the first period, he focused on dystopian and surrealistic elements, the later period saw him focus on abstraction and formalism. In his later years, he also experimented with digital technology. He was stabbed to death by his caretaker’s teenage son at his Warsaw apartment when he refused to lend him money.