Ewa Zawadzka - A sweet shade of gray

About the exhibition:

We invite you to the third individual exhibition of prof. Ewa Zawadzka in Xanadu! The presentation of the latest works entitled "Sweet shade of gray" will be held on September 24 - October 6, 2020 at our new headquarters at Al. Jerozolimskie 101, office 52 in Warsaw.

Due to the current situation, the opening of the exhibition will be a day-long, so that all interested parties can see the exhibition in comfortable conditions and meet the artist. The "vernissage day" will be held on Thursday, September 24, 2020 from 12: 00-19: 00.

The sweetness of isolation 

Light has always been crucial to her work. Ewa Zawadzka has repeatedly made them the subject of her works, not only in paintings, but also in graphics. However, the latest series of paintings is about light even more than usual. It was created under specific conditions and at a specific time. Closure and isolation resulting from social isolation allowed the artist to look at the light differently, even deeper, more precisely, more bluntly, even more analytically. 

For years, Ewa Zawadzka has been exploring similar painting topics and exploring the possibilities of the workshop. It is surprising that although her work is very consistent, the new series of works are always different from the previous ones. It is clearly visible that Ewa squeezes painting like a lemon and is able to achieve new aesthetic and intellectual values each time. In order to prove the changes taking place and to give a chance for comparisons, one of the works from the artist's earlier period, from 2010, will be presented in the exhibition space. Ewa herself writes about this contact and contrast: "I took out an old painting from 2010 - all luminous, golden-red, unaware of the threat and sense of humility ... I show it, so different from the other works." This difference is clearly visible, not only to the artist herself, but to any attentive audience. Light has many faces.

He also talks about the creative process in a very interesting way: “Not going out and communing with pictures in my studio every day allowed me to see the beauty and power of light. In the last pictures, it was the one that took the most of my time, it had to be very elaborate, moving from darkness, from dark orange to luminous white. I was learning anew how to paint this uncompromising glow… ”. It is amazing that an author with such achievements admits that she is learning to paint again what she has painted all her life. But that is the real trick. To enter it with the greatest possible power.

So what is light in the work of Ewa Zawadzka? Each of us will interpret them in our own way. There is no single orthodox definition here. It is not because good art is "made" when each recipient is able to find something interesting in it and feel it individually. First of all, light in Eve is physical light. The kind that describes architecture, emphasizes and allows each fragment and surface roughness to resonate. Second, light is about contrast and rhythm. The contrast between the glow and shadow zones. Something that builds up a particular tension and works very strongly on our subconscious. The rhythm brought out by light is not only the beauty of stone blocks and walls, but also the rhythm of the seasons and the shifting hours of the day. Thirdly, light in Ewa Zawadzka's painting is a transcendental, spiritual matter, talking about the sacred and about issues beyond the mundane and material sphere. In this context, Ewa can be said to be inspired by Byzantine painting or an icon. You can not see the connection, but the attitude of the monks who write the icons is close to Ewa's contemplative attitude as an artist. Does it have a religious dimension? Not necessarily. Rather meditative and philosophical. Art is usually created in the quiet of a studio, it is an individual experience, and at the stage of creation it is also the essence of being alone. However, there is a difference between loneliness and being lonely. The last time has left many of us lonely, even though we did not want it at all. In such forced solitude, incredibly interesting achievements arise. Art gets to its heart. What is difficult for people is extremely favorable to her. Therefore, the title of the exhibition does not reflect pessimism, it focuses on the sweetness of contemplation. 

- Agnieszka Gniotek