May 19

Agnieszka Rowińska

Written by Cassie Mckenzie.

Agnieszka Rowińska's artistic journey is rooted in her exploration of the intangible aspects of life. She has participated in residences and exhibitions across Europe, especially in Poland. Her art seeks to visualize elements beyond our senses and comprehension, creating an alternative world where the invisible becomes visible. Agnieszka’s recent solo exhibitions at Art Office in Warsaw and iPazi Factory in Pisa showcase her efforts to give ‘faces’ to spirituality, emotions, delusions, hallucinations, and memories, employing soft pastels or neutral tones and intricate dots to create forms. She has also participated in various European film festivals showcasing joint film projects with other artists.

Agnieszka’s work is a profound exploration of spirituality, infusing a sense of spiritual relationship with art and the cosmos rather than with religion. The subjects in her paintings are always centered, with vast areas of negative space, creating an almost deconstruction of illusion. Her monochromatic color schemes evoke dreaminess and illusion, making the paintings a captivating challenge and enhancing their minimalist quality. By painting these 'prayers,' she delves into affirmation, prayer, meditation, and other religious practices, detaching them from specific religious structures. Her ultimate aspiration is to create a “contemporary chapel” where spirituality transcends conventional structures and embraces a personal, profound experience, leaving a lasting impact on the viewer's perception.

Her work from the series Prayers (2024) showcases an ability to use intricate and delicate dots to create forms, memories, and shapes. ARK (pictured above) uses soft pastel colors and a series of dots to convey the illusion of an ethereal crescent moon-shaped ark. The subtleties Agnieszka uses make the viewer ponder the many layers of the piece. The textured dots against the muted yellow background pop out, inviting you to explore each layer. Agnieszka can create a sense of motion for these intangible shapes while showing texture and depth as the layers merge. Her minimalistic style focuses on negative space, highlighting the subject and drawing our eyes to follow the textured patterns.

Alter (pictured above) also uses muted colors to highlight the centered shapes. The negative space in the piece outlines the crescent sunset surrounded by the ocean and what seems to be plants. With a more literal take, the painting represents a triptych portraying a landscape scene using basic shapes and lines. The dream-like setting remains serene and grounding, opening up the idea of a memory as though we are stepping into her mind. As part of her style, subtle dots are strung along the top of each panel, mirroring the crescent shape of the sunset. The arches formed by the dots create portals over each scene, making the intangible aspect of the piece seem spiritual and otherworldly. Agnieszka showcases her ability to use literal and abstract figures to form a spiritual meaning in her work.

Agnieszka’s work beautifully captures the essence of spirituality, emotions, and memories. The ability to use soft pastel colors in subtle contrast to create an aura of bold impact speaks to her artistic ability. Through deconstruction of illusion of the subjects shows a spiritual nature behind the work and ideas. Agnieszka challenges the audience's perception of spirituality in art and leaves her mark on each viewer.