This April and May, the Przegorzały Club presents „Spring Exhibition – Artworks prepared by Kraków Expats,” a vibrant showcase celebrating the season through the eyes of eight talented international artists.
These artists, all members of the dynamic „Expats in Kraków” Facebook group, come together weekly across the city to create art. For this special exhibition, they’ve prepared a unique collection of works that capture the essence of spring. Expect to be captivated by a diverse range of media, from captivating canvas illustrations to evocative hand-drawn sketches.
Here is what the artists had to say about themselves and their individual art pieces:
JULIET MATHES
Juliet Mathes is an American artist who has been residing overseas since 2005 and has shown in galleries in the United States and South Korea. She holds a BFA from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee with a focus on drawing and painting and spent her final semester abroad studying art in France and Italy. She has been living in Poland since 2015 and this is her first group exhibition in Krakow. She works mainly in portrait series, which typically consist of 7 paintings. The paintings exhibited here are from her Nature series, Seven Deadly Sins series, Friends as Saints and Martyrs, and her Women in Nature series. If you are interested in viewing her work on line, please check her Instagram account, @juliet.mathes-arts .
Billy Malinois
Billy Malinois is a well known Greek artist (at least at his Sunny hometown of Kalamata) and awarded illustrator, with exhibitions in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Paris and recently his passion brought him to Krakow. This time not for art, but for Hania.
Persephone was daughter of Zeus and his sister Demeter (yeah, Lannisters are amateurs in comparison to Greek mythology), goddess of fertility, of the harvest, of agriculture, of nourishment, and of grain.
Persephone grew up to be a beautiful young woman and Hades, took her to his underworld Kingdom without her Mother’s consent. Demeter seized with grief, and rage. She expressed it by halting the seasons, and the growth of all living things. Soon, mortals faced extinction.
Hades consented to let Persephone go, but her departure from Hades was conditional. Had she eaten any food from the House of the Dead, Hades would continue to have influence over her. Here, again, the story has different versions. In some, Hades had forced to to eat some pomegranate seeds. In others, she ate them secretly, but perhaps willingly.
Her return to the light was therefore provisional; she would be reunited with Demeter for a time, and would then return to Hades. But, just as spring follows winter, Persephone would be reunited with her mother Demeter again each year.
Natalie Panchenko
I am an independent artist, aesthete, great nature and animal lover. Art is my passion and a mighty source of energy and optimism. I enjoy the infinite freedom it generously grants to express myself in the process of creation. I’m into all the wonderful colours and forms of this universe.
Stritennia was an old Slavic pre-Christian holiday celebrated 2 (15) February. The artwork depicts Mother Nature and implements transition from winter to spring, inner transformation, dualism, rethinking, acceptance, hope and search for new ways and energies for rebirth, hope, optimism, strong faith in good, female energy.
She is gentle, confident, decisive and at this stage immersed in her inner world, because the answers to all questions are within us.
Suchandra Bose
I am a Krakow, Poland-based artist but I grew up in the City of Joy – Kolkata (also known as Calcutta) which is widely regarded as the cultural capital of India. I started drawing at the age of 4. Back then it was nothing more than a fun activity for me! As a child I was very talkative and my Maa used to look for creative ways to keep me busy and quiet. When all her efforts failed, one fine day she discovered that drawing is the only activity that could keep me quiet for long. While she found peace, I found my best friend in Art. As years passed, this fun turned into an integral part of my life and became a witness to all my ups and downs. My constant support, and my inspiration – my Maa – helped me discover my love for painting.
Blooming – white symbolises peace, serenity and calmness. During winter nature covers herself with a blanket of snow. But the arrival of spring/summer brings with itself a promise of a new beginning, a new life. Nature bursts into its colours. And it is during this time every year I start preparing my little balcony garden. Besides the red, pink, crimson, orange, yellow, and violet, the white always finds its own special spot in my humble abode. This painting is inspired by one of the many white beauties that adorn my place every year.
Boho Spirit – as the name suggests Boho is associated with free spirited lifestyle, unconventional, yet artistic and creative. In this painting I have not followed an specific art style, rather explored the bold colours using different brush strokes and patterns
Agnieszka Masiarczyk
My favorite media are watercolors and acrylic. I love to express myself by using vibrant colors which evoke emotions. I strive to uplift the viewer with my work and create something aesthetically pleasing. If you are interested, please check out my Instagram @kaori.water.art, where you can see which of my works are available for sale.
„Touch of the sun”
In this captivating acrylic painting, the sun takes on the form of a magnificent flower, its fiery rays unfurling like delicate petals against the canvas of the sky.
It is a testament to the awe-inspiring power of nature, and a reminder of the boundless creativity and imagination that resides within the human spirit.
„Lady Spring”
In this enchanting watercolor painting, a graceful lady is depicted standing amidst a lush green field. She exudes an air of serenity and poise, her figure bathed in soft sunlight.
It is a celebration of the profound connection between humanity and the earth, and a reminder of the inherent beauty that surrounds us all.
„Bouquet with magnolia”
In this charming watercolor painting, delicate strokes dance across the canvas, capturing the ethereal beauty of nature in full bloom. A vibrant array of flowers bursts forth from a gracefully sculpted vase, each petal rendered with meticulous detail and tender care.
Soft hues of pink, lapis blue and peach mingle effortlessly, imbuing the scene with a sense of warmth and tranquility.
Marta Łopatka
My name is Marta Łopatka, I am a graduate of Design at the Lodz University of Technology. On a daily basis, I work with UX/UI design.
In my works I look for a space to combine drawing skills, composition and design. I want the combination of geometric forms with the softness of flora to allow the viewer to regain interest in well-known elements that are often passed thoughtlessly in everyday life.
Fidan Ibrahimzade
Bloom! For any situation, for any circumstances bloom for yourself. If you can’t, life will guide you to fix it. Follow your gut feeling, you’ll reach your destination. You’ll grow, you will not able to stop it. Bloom for this! (Instagram: @fidibrart)
Valentyna Odnolko
Artist Valentina Odnolko from Ukraine, born in 1989. She moved to Kraków because of the war in her city of Kharkiv. He has been drawing since childhood, a laureate and participant in numerous exhibitions in Ukraine. She paints in the style of pop art, spontaneous realism. The paintings often raise issues of society, interaction and behavior of people, reaction to the surrounding world and its rules.
For the spring exhibition, she provided 2 works from the series „The Blossoming of a Woman”.
Flowering Path: that feeling when you feel the beginning of a wonderful journey, that everything wonderful is ahead, the energy of creation is embedded in a woman by nature, as spring gives the beginning of blossoming. Girl, appreciate yourself and enjoy your blossoming.
Bloom of sensuality: Spring is felt in a woman’s body, as the beginning of understanding one’s nature and acceptance of sensuality.
