, M. Obremba-Mrożek, K. Brzechwa). After leaving the Academy, Krzysztofiak went to
Szklarska Poręba in the
Karkonosze Mountains where he lived for four years, painting and working in various temporary positions not connected with art. In 1953, he joined other artists in Group ST-53. It was seen as a symbol of the artist's rebellion in the post-Stalin era, a sign of the newly organized
avant-garde. The main purpose of the Group was self-education based on
Władysław Strzemiński’s "Theory of Seeing". The first public exhibition of the Group opened on 13 May 1956 in the Silesian Institute in Stalinogród (Stalin City), now
Katowice. In 1955, Krzysztofiak returned to Warsaw and stayed at a flat in Tarczyńska 11 with L. E. Stefański, who in there ran together with
Miron Białoszewski the famous Theatre at Tarczyńska. In July–September 1955, he took part in the legendary National Exhibition of Young Artists under the banner: “Against War, against Fascism”, organized in the building of
Warsaw Arsenal. Krzysztofiak proposed three works and one was accepted: "Still Life", later known as "The Jaw". At the end of 1955, he started working as a graphic editor for
Po prostu where he worked until the magazine was shut down in 1957. On 27 July 1956, Krzysztofiak's first individual exhibition opened in the Warsaw discussion club Po prostu. In 1957, Krzysztofiak made a design for the Station of the Passion for the church in
Nowa Huta but it was never realized. At the end of 1958, Krzysztofiak met his future wife, Krystyna Miłotworska, a journalist and later editor with
Radio Free Europe. At the beginning of 1960, he became graphic editor of the biweekly
Ruch Muzyczny and designed the magazine's covers. He designed decorations for three one-act plays directed by
Krystyna Meissner within her director's workshop; the first night was 21 June 1961, in
Ateneum Theatre in Warsaw. The plays were
Michel de Ghelderode’s
Escurial,
Harold Pinter’s
The Dumb Waiter and
Sławomir Mrożek’s
At Sea. In September 1963, Krzysztofiak took part in the First International Koszalin Open Air Workshop organized in Poland for the first time. In 1964, he worked for theatres in Opole and Białystok designing decorations for plays directed by L. E. Stefański and K. Meissner. In that time he painted the series of sixteen pictures called "Białystok Totems". In August 1965, together with 39 artists from Poland and abroad, Krzysztofiak took part in the First Biennial of Space Forms in Elbląg. The metal space forms made during the biennial were situated in the town. ==Abroad==