A World Beneath The Heels
Curated by Maja Krysiak, Agata Przyżycka & Paulina Otylia Suryś
Private View: Thursday 9th February 6-9pm
Dates: 10th - 20th February, 2023 (Wed-Sun 12-7pm)
Galleries: Serce Gallery (Warsaw/London) x Kravitz Contemporary (London) Address: Kravitz Contemporary, 17 Soho Square, London W1D 3QJ
Links: kravitz-contemporary.com, @kravitzcontemporary & @serce.exhib Artists: @maja_krysiak, @agata.kaja & @paulinaotyliesurys
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Kravitz Contemporary presents its first show of the year with Warsaw based Serce Gallery in a joint presentation of three emerging Polish born artists. A world beneath the heels marks the start of a collaborative programme of shows with London and international based galleries, curators and artists, hosted at the gallery’s recently opened Soho Square space.
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The exhibition is a small history of what the female body touches. It is not at all something arbitrary. The human world has created a system in which it is controlled, rationed, punished or rewarded. And heels are one of the peculiar symbols of this multidimensional state of affairs.
This fetish view highlights touch from many sides of our lives. In the case of Agata Przyżycka’s work, each painting depicts intricate, large-scale abstractions consisting of duplicated bodies, touch highlights a personal, intimate zone - the duplication becomes a metaphor for the idea of our body, which, in the imagination, always detaches itself into something similar and at once alien. It is not uncommon to have this feeling when looking at oneself in the mirror and touching one's body. From this intimate perspective, it is also possible to discover the universality of the body - by touching another you can discover your own.
In the case of Maja Krysiak's works, which are stretched between the everyday world and the world of imagination, touch becomes an indicator for metaphor; touch highlights the essence, what the artist wanted to say in her work. This mystery relates to the dreams that flow over us in the light of day, sometimes night.
Night, in turn, is the domain of Paulina Otylie Suryś, who also functions most strongly in the imaginary world. Her touch is multidimensional and based on a strong ambivalence, resulting from the use of realism, mythological and erotic motifs. Suryś’ works encapsulate the need to go beyond the world we know, the world of order and norms: putting one's hand into the dark depths, we dream of being grabbed by something alien and absorbed into the depths of the water.
Artist Information
Maja Krysiak (b. 1980, Częstochowa, Poland). Lives and works in Krakow. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. A visual artist specialising in painting and drawing, she explores historical and personal issues in her latest works, which she shows in the series "Mother Queens." Her works touch upon the themes of spirituality, femininity, and dreams. In 2005, she graduated with honours from the Painting Department at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. From 2006 to 2014, she worked as a teacher at her home university.
Agata Przyżycka (b. 1992, Toruń, Poland). Lives and works between Poland and London. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk and now lectures at the Faculty of Painting at her alma mater (PhD in 2022). You can find her works in institutional collections (National Museum in Gdańsk).
Paulina Sury (b. Leszno, Poland). Lives & works in London. She graduated from Middlesex University. Paulina's interdisciplinary practice is predominantly lense based and involves the physical manipulation of vernacular images or analogue photographs taken and hand processed by herself - an approach that combines her formal training as a fine art painter with her photographic, sculpture and installation practice. Her projects have autobiographical background and focus on womanhood, memories and society.
For press enquiries & images please contact
Email: seb@kravitzcontemporary.com
Phone: 07729 560926
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About Kravitz Contemporary (London)
Kravitz Contemporary works with emerging galleries and curators worldwide, known for promoting the work of promising young artists, to provide them the opportunity to showcase their work in their recently opened Soho space.
Founded in Poland, the gallery has built strong relationships with local artists & galleries while still striving towards an ambitious goal - making global collections more accessible for upcoming generations of collectors. By forging partnerships across borders, Kravitz fosters greater opportunities for both gallery owners overseas as well as distinctive cross-cultural displays from around the world.
Website: kravitz-contemporary.com
Instagram: @kravitzcontemporary
Address: 17 Soho Square, London W1D 3QJ
About Serce Gallery (Warsaw/London)
Serce Gallery director Kamil #2 has worked as an independent curator since 2017, producing shows across Poland and Europe including several programmes for the annual Warsaw Gallery Weekend. Kamil #2 started curating commercial shows in 2021, and this is the first show presented under the Serce Gallery banner.
Instagram: @serce.exhib
Address: Warsaw, 00-042 st. Nowy Świat 6