How were the famous Ćmielów “New Look” figurines originally developed?

The “New Look” figurines associated with Ćmielów began as an experimental project at the Institute of Industrial Design in Warsaw in the mid-1950s. A small team of young sculptors, led by Henryk Jędrasiak, set out to create contemporary porcelain figures that matched modern architecture, furniture and graphics emerging after the Stalinist period. They explored simplified forms with elongated limbs, reduced support points and stylised silhouettes, often inspired by fashion, music and sport. Once the designs impressed critics and officials, production moved to various porcelain factories in Poland, including Ćmielów. In 1964 most of the Institute’s figurine models were concentrated in the Ćmielów Porcelain Works, which had the technical capacity to cast them in larger quantities. Glaze and painting schemes emphasised flat colour patches, strong contrasts and sometimes pure white bodies with minimal detail. That mix of sculptural daring and industrial production created objects that today stand as icons of Polish mid-century design.