Son of an eminent Polish writer Jerzy and brother of another distinguished writer Juliusz, himself had a tremendous talent for words. His books about art and his autobiography were published in Poland to a great success.

His family tradition played a most important role, for the Zulawskis in their own right have been a significant part of Polish culture. Marek's childhood was surrounded by an atmosphere of science, art and literature. At home he mixed with all the most distinguished personalities of the "Mloda Polska" period, to mention a couple: J S Witkiewocz and his son "Witkacy" – one of the most famous writers and painters of the period. It may be due to this unique intensity to the presence of art and contact with all great figures of Polish cultural life of the period, that Marek Zulawski became fascinated with symbol as a form of expression. He also felt a strong need not only to be an artist, but to write about art.

The Zulawski family has given us poets, writers, musicians, mountain climbers, film makers and painters. Most generally speaking: a tribe of most original adventure hunters in the deepest sense of the term. This information is not irrelevant when one evaluates Zulawski's pictures: one sees in them a wide expanse, feels in it the dimensions of his own and inherited experiences.