Biography

I am a painter. I was born in Upper Silesia but live in Krakow. I graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow in 1983.
My painting is characterized by exploration and experimentation with the form and substance of the image. I work in series that complement each other, ultimately creating a full range of my feelings and experiences.

I have shown my paintings in solo and group exhibitions in Krakow and many other places in Poland and around the world. I have exhibited in Paris, London, Venice, Florence, Monaco, New York, Tokyo, and Shanghai, participating in biennials and art fairs.

Recent Exhibitions

2016 - Monaco Art Fair, Monte Carlo
2016 - “Red Passion,” Gallery Des Carmes, Toulouse
2016 - “Grandi di Astrazione,” Rossocinabro Gallery, Rome
2016 - Artexpo, New York
2016 - Spectrum, Miami
2016 - Architectural Digest Design Show, New York
2017 - The Essential Art Exhibition, Art in WOA
2017 - Artexpo, New York
2017 - Spectrum, Miami
2017 - Architectural Digest Design Show, New York
2018 - Tokyo International Art Fair, Tokyo
2019 - Internationale Exposition, Grimandi Gallery, New York
2019 - International Art Fair, ITSLIQUID Group, Venice
2019 - “Woman’s Essence: The Woman in Contemporary Art,” Biennale, Venice
2019 - “The Body Language,” ITSLIQUID International Art Exhibition, Venice
2019 - “Spikeless Cactus,” International Summer Exhibitions, Burn-In Gallery, Vienna
2019 - Art in Monaco Yacht Show, Monte Carlo
2019 - Art Basel, Miami
2022 - Shanghai International Fair
2022 - “Materia Contra Astral,” Palace of Art, Krakow, individual exhibition
2022 - “Art Between Thoughts and Spontaneity,” PAKS Gallery, Munich
2023 - “Cosmic Membranes,” Palace of Art, Krakow, individual exhibition
2023 - “The Essence of Time: Dalí, Warhol and the 21st Century Artifact,” New York
2025 - Art3F, Chapiteau de Fontvieille, Monaco, Queen Art Studio
2026 - London Contemporary, 17th Edition
2026 - Rome International Art Fair, 18th Edition

Recent Awards

2016 - Academy Awards - Oscar Nominations, Best Artist of the Year 2016
2016 - International Art Award “Minerva - La Dea di Tutte le Arti,” Lecce
2016 - Premio Biennale d’Oro per l’Arte, Artexpo Gallery, Monte Carlo
2016 - Art Addiction, The 9th Female Artists’ Art Annual, Diploma of Excellence
2017 - Certificate of Excellence, Artkola
2017 - 8th ArtSlant Prize Showcase Winner
2017 - Honorary Master, World of Art
2017 - Biennale per le Arti Visive, Oscar dell’Arte, Artexpo Gallery, Monte Carlo
2019 - Woman Art Award, Woman’s Essence Show, concomitant event of the 58th Biennale di Venezia
2021 - Luxembourg Art Prize
2022 - International Prize Barcelona Trophy, Barcelona
2022 - Voices of Tomorrow International Art Award, Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

Collections

Artworks are held in the collections of the Diocesan Museum in Katowice, the Southern Nevada Museum of Modern Art in Las Vegas, and the Museum of Silesia in Katowice.

Artist Statement

I believe that every painting should make an impression. It should not leave the viewer indifferent. The idea behind a painting is essential, ensuring that it is not simply another canvas painted without meaning or purpose. There must be a concept that is expressed through the act of painting.

I want to capture the transience of a moment within a plane of color and explore how light penetrates matter. Through my work, I seek to convey a sense of transcendence. I have developed several ongoing cycles, including “Screens,” “Woman - Imago,” “Stream of Time,” “Obsessions,” and “Archetypes.” I do not limit myself to a single subject, and these cycles are not complete. New paintings continue to emerge within each of them.

My most recent cycle, “Stream of Time,” developed from my interest in the cosmos, the multidimensional nature of time and space, and the possibility of parallel worlds. I am interested in understanding where energy accumulates when it is separated from the body.

The female figure has always been a dominant subject in my work. She may appear as sensual, reflective, or obsessive, as a woman transformed into a flower, or as a figure undergoing metamorphosis. She does not represent a specific individual but rather the broader idea of womanhood. This subject appeared at the beginning of my artistic practice and remains deeply important to me. Over the years, it has undergone numerous transformations, including female obsessions, sensuality, flower women, Woman - Imago, and archetypes of womanhood.

I work with oil and acrylic paints. For many years, I searched for a transparent medium that would allow me to reveal the penetration of planes and create the three-dimensional quality that fascinates me. I wanted to achieve a soft, translucent substance resembling plasma. After years of experimentation, I believe I have reached this goal by combining the fluidity and softness of biological forms with hard, strongly defined planes. Together, these elements evoke an imagined state of non-being.

My paintings combine figurative and abstract approaches, and I want them to be interpreted through both perspectives. They require effort and engagement from the viewer, who is invited to consider not only the composition and form but also the penetration of color planes, luminosity, texture, and light. Light is reflected differently from a smooth surface than from a dense, heavily textured one, while transparent textures create additional visual and sensory impressions.

I want my paintings to have a sensual and emotional effect, not necessarily because of their subject matter, but because of the diversity of their surfaces. Textures, colors, and light penetrate one another just as emotions do in life: love permeates sadness, sadness enters reflection, and reflection becomes expectation. It is an expectation of love.

This kind of painting requires emotional engagement and a sensitivity to the transience of the moment. For me, painting forms a connection between the real world and the transcendent. Beyond its artistic qualities, art should contain a sense of mystery. Within every painting, the viewer can discover the emotional energy conveyed through the creative act.

Barbara Palka Winek

Malina Wieczorek

H. Allen Benowitz