Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Polish: [staˈɲiswaf iɡˈnatsɨ vʲitˈkʲɛvʲitʂ]; 24 February 1885 – 18 September 1939), commonly known as Witkacy, was a Polish writer, painter, philosopher, theorist, playwright, novelist, and photographer active before World War I and during the interwar period.Witkiewicz had died in some obscurity but his reputation began to rise soon after the war, which had destroyed his life and devastated Poland. Outside of Poland his work was discussed as a precursor to post-ww2 European drama in Martin Esslin's influential "Theatre of the Absurd" 1961,[15] and later in Hans-Theis Lehmann's "Postdramatic Theatre" 2006.[16] Konstanty Puzyna collected his surviving dramatic writings in two volumes in "Dramaty" (Dramas) 1962 which revived interest in his plays in Poland. Through his translations and scholarship, Daniel Gerould introduced English-language audiences to the writings of Witkiewicz.

Czesław Miłosz framed his argument in The Captive Mind around a discussion of Witkiewicz's novel, Insatiability. The artist and theater director Tadeusz Kantor was inspired by the Cricot group, through which Witkiewicz had presented his final plays in Kraków. Kantor brought many of the plays back into currency, first in Poland and then internationally, including The Cuttlefish (1956) and The Water Hen (1969). Visual artist Paulina Olowska produced Witkiewicz's The Mother: An Unsavoury Play in Two Acts and an Epilogue at the Tate Modern in 2015.[17]

Films which have Witkiewicz as the subject include Tumor Witkacego 1985,[18] Mystification 2010 [19] and Witkacy and Malinowski: a cinematic séance in 23 scenes 2018.[20] Films based on his works include Ludiot i kalugericata 1968,[21]Farewell to Autumn 1990,[22] Insatiability 2003,[23]Madame Tutli-Putli 2007[24] and Nursery Rhyme of a Madman 2017.[25]

Witkiewicz's paintings and pastel drawings are in the collections of the National Museum, Warsaw,[26] the National Museum, Kraków, Museum of Literature, Warsaw and the Museum of Central Pomerania with 125 works in Słupsk Castle.[27] The Metropolitan Museum of Art[28] and Museum of Modern Art[29] in New York, and the Art Gallery of New South Wales,[30] Sydney hold important examples of his photography. The Villa Oksza Gallery of 20th century art of the Tatra Museum in Zakopane holds important examples of his photography and pastel drawings.