jestem
series

 

 

jestem

bending the laws
of nature
to fit the laws of art.

The title of the exhibition is the Polish word ‘Jestem’. It is the first-person singular of the verb ‘to be’: I am. It means to be or find yourself somewhere at a particular time. It is the phrase used in a classroom to declare that you are present.

I am…or better I would like to be present wherever I go. To be where I am. To be present in a particular location in the world. I am represents me in a particular place, making conscious choices and depictions. In my case immersed in nature: listening, feeling, looking/seeing, discovering, paying attention; being present there and at that time…loyal to the place… the colours… the seasons. The ordinary scenery metamorphoses into something marvellous. What is observed on the exterior becomes a reason to provoke an interior explosion of emotion which transposes feelings and a visual representation of what I see, sense and feel.

I am is a bold statement about me and my interpretation of what I see around me.  I am a silent observer. I watch and take in colour, action and place. Jestem because I was in Poland for many years and now, I am here. My 

works touch on various scenes both in Malta and in Poland, I have worked en pleine air to be able to engage with the beauty and sense of what is around me. I am in each location I depict, be it Wardija, Wied il-Qoton, Koblylepole or Szczepankowo.

My prime interest in landscapes began after being acquainted with David Hockney’s ‘Arrival of Spring’ and his en pleine air paintings. I felt the need to go out and paint, understand my surroundings and give them a dimension no photo still can give a painting. Art has the added dimension of emotion, it is evocative in nature and is a most personal interpretation by the artist himself. I am – I was in a place at a particular time capturing a particular everchanging mood. I was painting when the sun was out, when the wind blew and when the snow began to form.

This exhibition is divided into three parts. The landscapes in Poznan Poland, the landscapes in Malta, and the third are landscapes in the studio. In Poland I was drawn to long rows of trees and lush forests. The verticality, the deciduous nature of trees in the cold winter months, the different moods of changing seasons were a fertile source of 

inspiration. Malta was antipodal to Poland; it is not very seasonal and forests are a rare find. Malta mostly offered rugged landscapes and labyrinthine rubble walls. Yet it offered bright light, blue skies and vibrant colours. So, I chose to re-interpret my narrative and my emotions. The third part of the exhibition is my subject in conscious abstraction. Brian Ruttenberg was a strong source of inspiration into my decision to break away from reality and negate the picture-perfect realism. Brain said it right: bending the laws of nature to fit the laws of art.

My abstraction of nature is a representation of strong emotions, reflective thoughts and deep interpretations. I am such a person; my art reflects what I feel and who I am. I therefore chose to still depict bare trees and twigs to keep with my keen interest of the deciduous subject. But I chose to re-interpret my work. What I felt when I was out in contact with nature was externalised and redefined in abstract thoughts and Art from my inner self.

I am – an ever-changing artist and this is my ever-changing project

“encourage me”

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-WARSTWY- SERIES

-JESTEM-
SERIES

RECENT WORKS

PORTFOLIO
2020-2021

PORTFOLIO
2018-2019

PORTFOLIO
2016-2017

PORTFOLIO
2010-2015