Tomasz Kowalski

Tomasz Kowalski draws out familiar, yet intangible worlds through painting and works on paper. In these images, objects and figures separate from their own meaning, becoming illusionistic and abstract. Kowalski clarifies each aspect merely to the point that he sees fit. He constantly fractures perspective in an effort to establish a bold imaginal universe, funneling his Polish roots into the matrix of inspiration.

In these new works, the tension between the figure and abstraction is significant. Kowalski expresses his characteristically kaleidoscopic perspective, where forms are imagined in three dimensional space. It’s as though one is observing the same action through multiple keyholes, all of which are collated by Kowalski. These fragmentary images are caught between Bauhaus geometry and Symbolist dreamscapes, resulting in a well-articulated visual universe that opens up piecemeal without revealing itself in full. As such, there are obscured aspects and shadowy referents that only breach the surface from certain vantage points.

Color is often the vehicle that Kowalski uses to deliver his ambient worldview. For this exhibition, he’s opted for darker tones in an effort to establish a specific mood. He also latches onto the materiality of the jute to guide his brushes. As such, these images hover just above the surface or else disappear into the cracks of the threaded canvas. In terms of content, the painter draws from Symbolists like Fernand Khnopff in order to deliver an extraordinarily refined arena of forms. Tracing this history up until the present day, Kowalski composes mystical interiors and landscapes that transcend both time and place.

Tomasz Kowalski (b. 1984 in Szczebrzeszyn, PL) lives and works between Warsaw and Antwerp. Solo exhibitions of his work have been held at Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis; Ujazdowski Castle Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw; Dawid Radziszewski Gallery, Warsaw; 15 Orient, New York; Arcadia Missa, London; and Carlier | Gebauer, Berlin.

His work has been included in group exhibitions at Centre Pompidou, Paris; Kunsthalle Wien and MUMOK, Vienna; De Appel, Amsterdam; S.M.A.K, Ghent; Museum of Modern Art, National Museum, and Zacheta Gallery, Warsaw; La Casa Encendida, Madrid; and Contemporary Art Centre, Vilnius.

Tomasz Kowalski’s work belongs to the collections of Centre Pompidou and Pinault Collection, Paris; Frac des pays de la Loire, Nantes; MUMOK, Vienna; Boros Collection, Berlin; X Museum, Beijing; and MOCAK, Krakow.