With the exhibition "My Friend: The Tree," the European Cartoon Center pays tribute to the Polish cartoonist Robert Szecówka – ROBS (1935–2020).
In this selection of cartoons, the tree is central: not as a backdrop, but as a friend, a silent witness to how people behave—funny, strange, touching.
ROBS possessed a rare talent. He saw the paradoxes in our living world and the absurdity of our reality more sharply than anyone else. Thanks to his witty humor, surprising connections, and remarkable creativity, he captured the world and humanity like no other. With a single line, he accurately depicted what makes us unique as humans. In a gentle, soft manner, he exposed our weaknesses without hurting, like a mirror inviting self-reflection.
ROBS was born on May 13, 1935, in Żarki, Poland. After studying architecture in Wrocław, he resolutely chose a career as a cartoonist. His first cartoons appeared in the satirical magazine Kaktus, after which he became a regular contributor to Wiadomości in Wrocław. He remained in service until the editorial office closed in 1981. However, even during the turbulent Polish political period of the early 1980s, he continued to create cartoons for the alternative press. Later, he drew for numerous Polish and international magazines, including Poland, Karuzela, Szpilki, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Schöner Wohnen, Europak, and Tele-Woche. More than 10,000 of his cartoons were published—an impressive archive.
In 1977, ROBS founded the international cartoon festival Satyrykon in Legnica, which still brings together artists from all over the world today. He remained active with Satyrykon until the end and enjoyed recalling various anecdotes.
His work was awarded in cities such as Wrocław, Legnica, Duisburg, Montreal, Knokke-Heist, Tolentino, Dnipro, Lisse, and Beringen. He participated in 200 exhibitions worldwide.
In addition to cartoons, he designed posters, illustrated books, created sets for cabarets and operettas, and taught children because he found it important to share his knowledge and experience with future generations.
In 2000, he published the book PALER, a linguistic gem in which each of the 20,260 words in the book begins with the letter "P." This unique work was included in the Guinness Book of Records in 2001.
ROBS lived for many years in Hamburg with his wife and daughter, was a member of the Bundesverband Bildender Künstler e.v., and vice-chairman of the PEGASUS Foundation. In 2010, he received the Knight's Cross of Merit of the Republic of Poland for his commitment to German-Polish cultural cooperation. He passed away in Hamburg on March 5, 2020.
