born 1930, Katowice, died 2020, Przesieka.
A painter, graphic artist, and one of the key figures of the avant-garde movement of the 1950s. She was born in Katowice and grew up in a multicultural environment, which influenced her openness to diverse artistic and philosophical inspirations. She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, Katowice branch, graduating in 1955.
Broll was a co-founder of the St-53 Group, one of the first avant-garde collectives in post-war Poland, which experimented with form, color, and abstraction. In the 1960s, she became interested in Eastern culture and philosophy, which was reflected in her art. Together with her husband, Andrzej Urbanowicz, she ran a legendary studio on Ligonia Street in Katowice, a meeting place for artists and intellectuals seeking spiritual and creative expression.
From the 1970s onward, she developed her unique style based on metaphysical painting and mandalas, drawing from Zen Buddhism traditions. She moved to Przesieka in the Karkonosze Mountains, where she created an important artistic center. Her works were exhibited in numerous exhibitions in Poland and abroad, making her an icon of independent 20th-century art.
