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The Collectors: Grażyna Kulczyk

The Polish entrepreneur and philanthropist has amassed a trove of some 600 works of postwar and contemporary women artists

By Lucy Rees
Woman in a brown coat poses outdoors near a pool, with trees and a stone wall in the background.
Grażyna Kulczyk in the garden of Museum Susch, her private art space in Switzerland, surrounded by Helen Chadwick’s “Piss Flowers” sculptures. Photo: TORVIOLL JASHARI

Grażyna Kulczyk, a Polish collector, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, is committed to rewriting the historical narrative around women artists. Over the past five decades, she has amassed an incredible trove of some 600 works of postwar and contemporary artists, including masterpieces by the likes of Judy Chicago, Eva Hesse, Jenny Holzer, Carol Rama, Alina Szapocznikow, and Rosemarie Trockel. A trained lawyer, she opened her own private museum in 2019 in a former monastery in Switzerland’s Lower Engadine Valley.

Person holding glasses, standing under a painting of a bride, modern interior with wooden floor and mountains visible outside.
Polish collector Grażyna Kulczyk is attracted to works by female talents, including Jenny Saville’s The Bride (1992). Photo: TORVIOLL JASHARI

“My mission is to correct historical inequalities, particularly in the representation of female artists who have been forgotten or misread,” says Kulczyk, who oversees a robust exhibition schedule as well as a residency and a dedicated global feminist research program. On view through November are solo shows by experimental artists Gabriele Stötzer and Jadwiga Maziarska, whom Kulczyk also collects. Recently, she acquired the neighboring Hospiz San Jon, which she is converting into a space to display her personal collection. “I want visitors to be able to feel the coherence of this narrative—one built in defiance of fashions, trends, and market speculation.”

Forming connections: “While much of my collection consists of historical pieces that require rigorous research, I consider myself an old-school collector who places immense trust in my instincts, my eye, and expertise. I find it vital to stay in close dialogue with artists, curators, and scholars whose work aligns with my mission.”

Painting of a woman with blonde hair in red clothing, holding a large reflective glass object, set against a dark background.
Jenna Gribbon, The Burden of Restraint, (2024). Photo: Courtesy of Grażyna Kulczyk
Abstract painting with vibrant colors and geometric shapes in red, orange, blue, and yellow, creating a dynamic mosaic effect.
Lynne Drexler, Gotterdammerung, (1959). Photo: Courtesy of Grażyna Kulczyk

Living with art: “Collecting art is a means of telling stories. It’s not a singular, linear narrative but many parallel stories that are enriching in their contradiction and complexity. I still believe in art’s power to transform us as much as I did when I started.”

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Late Fall Issue under the headline “The Collectors.” Subscribe to the magazine.