Polish paper cut-out

This paper cut-out is an example of traditional Polish craft referred to as wycinanki. It is a round wycinanki with two birds at the centre surrounded by flowers. The birds are purple with red, yellow, and orange wings and brown and green tails. The wycinanki is primarily purple. It was purchased in Poland by Stan Ostoja-Kotkowski, a Polish artist who migrated to Australia in 1949, as a representation of his cultural heritage as well as an inspiration for his own work. Born Joseph Ostoja-Kotkowski in Golub, Poland on 28 December 1922, Josef was known as Stan or Ostoja. He migrated to Melbourne in 1949 and settled in Sterling, South Australia in 1955. The State Library of South Australia has a significant collection related to Stan and his work.