Felicja Pacanowska was born on 15 January 1907 in Łódź into a wealthy, intellectual Jewish family. Her father was Herman Pacanowski - owner of a textile factory, her mother was Augusta Pacanowska - artist-sculptor. Felicja had an older brother David - an architect - and a younger sister Etna - a pianist, who died tragically during the Second World War.

Between 1927 and 1932, Pacanowska studied painting and engraving at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. After completing her studies, the same year, i.e. 1932, she went to Paris to study painting at the Ecole de Paris, where she joined a group of female painters of Jewish origin.

She made numerous artistic journeys around Europe. In 1935 she went to Italy, where she attended the Scuola dell'Arte della Medaglia in Rome for a year. In the following years, most likely in 1937, she returned to Poland to exhibit her prints and paintings at the Institute of Art Propaganda in Łódź. This was her last visit to her native country.

When the Second World War broke out, Pacanowska was in Paris. She spent the years of occupation there. She struggled with poverty and constant danger. Because of her Jewish background, she had to stop her artistic activities and went into hiding in various places. She lost all her paraphernalia and her works at that time. Miraculously, she avoided deportation during the so-called Vél d'Hiv - the largest mass raid of Jews that took place in Paris on 16-17 July 1942. The extremely precarious and dangerous living conditions and the news of the death of her mother and sister left a mark on her life. The only thing that kept her spirits up was her art and her willingness to take up artistic work again.

After the war, she often travelled to Rome, where her brother Davide lived and worked , but her permanent home was Paris. There she developed her artistic activity. She worked mainly in etching and aquatint and also painted. She slowly built up her position and recognition. She took part in many exhibitions at home as well as internationally. The most important ones include: Salon d'Automne (Autumn Salon), Salon des Indépendants (Independent Salon), Salon de Mai (May Salon), Salon des Réalitées Nouvelles (New Realities Salon), Jeune Gravure Contemporaine (Young Contemporary Printmaking), Estampes Contemporaines (Contemporary Prints). She also had her exhibitions in Japan and the USA. She was awarded the Prix de Viareggio in 1954 and the Prix Amedeo Modigliani in 1956.

Pacanowska maintained contact with the Italian Polish community and even became part of it. In 1954, the artist was invited to participate in the exhibition 'Mostra Internazionale del Centro delle Arti' (8-29.V. 1954), organised on the initiative of the Association of Polish Artists in Italy 'Quo Vadis' in the premises of the J. Z. Umiastowska Roman Foundation. Pacanowska's works were exhibited among such Polish artists as Michał Paszyn, Roman Biliński, Karol Badura, Jan Chmieliński, Lech Sawicki, Janina Domańska, Jadwiga Szymańska, Lidia Giedroyc, Halina Bogusławska and many others. Karol Badura wrote about this exhibition:

"The exhibition resonated with the local press and radio. It is the best proof that where the Polish word cannot reach, Polish art will reach. (...) The first exhibition is like a test of strength, a catching out of Polish visual artists now scattered all over the globe".

In 1955, Pacanowska took part in the Interplanetary Art Exhibition (Mostra d'Arte Interplanetaria) , also organised by "Quo Vadis" and held at the headquarters of the J. Z. Umiastowska Foundation. On the other hand, in 1956, the artist exhibited her portraits at the International Portrait Exhibition (Mostra Internazionale del Ritratto). The last exhibition organised by the Polish association 'Quo Vadis' and the Umiastowska Foundation in which Felicia took part was 'Dal vivo - Arti Figurative' at the Palazzo Marconi in Frascati in 1963.

Pacanowska most often depicted nudes of figures, portraits (including Moyshe Broderzon, Chil Aronson, Ernest Nameyni), landscapes or still life, while later on, abstract compositions became increasingly common. Her art, primarily printmaking (mainly linoleum, etching and aquatint) and painting oscillated between expressionism, cubism and abstractionism.

"Her works, executed in engraving and etching techniques, impress with their purity of drawing, meticulous choice of black and white proportions and a light full of solemnity and sensitivity".

The evolution of Pacan's art from expressionist forms to increasingly abstract compositions was read by Nadine Nieszawer - art historian and author of Stories of Jewish Artists of the School of Paris 1905-1939 - as a consequence of the traumatic experiences of the Second World War.

In March 2025, photographer Andrea Pacanowski, son of David Pacanowski, undertook the project "Pacanowska/Pacanowski" , which aimed to create a 'dialogue' between Felicia's art and his contemporary photographic interpretation.

"The result is a combination of shapes, colours and emotions that gives the painter's works new life through an innovative process of visual metamorphosis." Andrea writes of her relative as follows:

"Different in temperament from my father, Felicia was aloof and reluctant in human relationships, and her character was complex. I remember that during visits access to her work was virtually impossible: she was particularly protective and jealous of her art. Her relationship with art dealers was also complicated because she was very suspicious."

He adds: 'It was only after her death that I was able to fully appreciate the wide range of her work: from engravings and etchings, to painting and printmaking, and even sculpture. Felicia masterfully combined different printing techniques, demonstrating a versatility that characterises her artistic value. I consider her to be a versatile and extremely talented artist, whose complex nature was reflected in a work characterised by genius and originality."

The artist died in 2002, in the home of Polish nuns in Rome, in the presence of her brother's family.