When looking at my paintings, it becomes apparent that there are other layers of meaning within them. My work is not based on indisputable stylistic conventions. The techniques I use are diverse, often breaking free from the rigid rules of traditional painting. I combine various methods in a single piece, experimenting with materials to achieve specific effects, yet sometimes I also surrender to the results of these experiments. I mix acrylics with pastels, pencils with paint, and employ rubbing, scratching, and other techniques, pushing the limits of durability.
I create a world of effects and interpret reality. The flat, decorative areas of my paintings resemble stained glass, with their mysterious luminosity. The world of my artwork encompasses day and night, a woman and a man, a woman and a bird, and a mysterious musician having an attack.
Working within the painting workshop, I aim for a simplified sign language, using specific forms and colors. Through this, I try to guide my paintings into the subconscious, leading them into a realm of desires and emotions. Sometimes, I work with an aggressive and decisive line, while other times, I use delicate, ephemeral strokes. I do not aim to replicate nature; instead, I offer a distant, marginal interpretation of it.
A human being—especially a woman—is portrayed as far as she reveals herself. I outline her physicality, her gestures, through a palette of red, sunbeams, dramatic black, and even daring color combinations. I seek to create a mood, an impression, a desire.
I address themes of transience, silence, misunderstanding, loneliness, and nostalgia. I strive to connect the work with the viewer, and the creator with the audience.
It is not easy for an anecdote captured in a simple gesture and abstract forms to convey a coherent description of its intentions.
I am fascinated by the relationship between a patient and a psychotherapist: creating space for themselves, discovering their fears and desires, revealing the past as a foundation for the future.
I work when I am inspired, surrendering to the moment. My artistic life is an integral part of my identity.
Is the life of an artist lonely? It can be.
I am a painter, a psychotherapist, and a participant in social relations. Sometimes, I am a volunteer involved in research on the essence of interpersonal relationships.
But in the deepest corners of my soul, I create my own language, one that I share with the people I meet in front of my paintings.
Przemysław Olczak