Magdalena Szilke and Anna Świtalska-Jończyk, artists with different creative temperaments, meet on one point - sensitivity to the cyclical nature and transformations taking place in nature and in ourselves.

Can painting capture the moment of transition? How do you capture the dynamics of change in a static image? The Forms of Transition exhibition is an invitation to discover a world in which colour, texture and composition become tools for capturing fleeting moments of transformation. Magdalena Szilke and Anna Świtalska-Jończyk, artists with different creative temperaments, meet at one point - sensitivity to cyclicality and the transformations taking place in nature and in ourselves.

Their paintings resemble traces of processes that continue beyond the frame of the canvas. Pulsating colours, organic forms and dynamic structures draw the viewer into a story about movement, time and the constant evolution of reality. This is not only an aesthetic journey - it is also an attempt to freeze the moment, to sense the rhythm and pulse of the world around us. As Heraclitus said, "everything flows" (panta rhei), and the art of both artists seems to visualise this philosophy.

The Forms of Transformation exhibition is a meeting of artists whose creative paths crossed almost two decades ago. Although each of them has developed her own individual painting language, they share a deep fascination with the process of transformation - in art, in nature, in man. Their painting is not a static record, but a constant movement, striving to capture the moment of transition between one state and another.

The title of the exhibition reflects both the formal and ideological aspects of their work. Transformation is manifested here in the transformation of the painting matter, in the penetration of light through layers of pigment, in the evolution of the composition from a flat form to a multidimensional structure. The works of both artists oscillate around the notion of changeability and cyclicity, inspired by nature, its organic dynamics and rhythm.

Magdalena Szilke's paintings are subtle, full of harmony, where form flows seamlessly into light and colour. The artist combines oil painting with assemblage, sometimes introducing elements of embroidery and mosaic to emphasise the multi-layered and material nature of the painting. Her works refer to the world of organic shapes and minimalist compositions, drawing inspiration from nature but also from Japanese aesthetics. "I don't want to lock myself into one art trend. For me, being creative means a constant search," says the artist.

Anna Świtalska-Jończyk operates with a more expressive language, focusing on the intensity of colour and expressive texture. Her paintings feature dynamic juxtapositions of colour, the painterly matter is dense, almost sculptural. The artist explores the relationship between light and surface, experimenting with different materials - sand, wood, fabric. In her own words: "Painting gives me freedom, it allows me to express the most difficult emotions through a language that does not require verbalisation".

The Forms of Transformation exhibition is also a reflection on the way the viewer experiences art. The artists construct their paintings as spaces of interaction - colour, light and structure are not just elements of the composition, but means of shaping the viewer's experience. Each painting becomes a starting point for individual interpretation, resonating with the viewer's emotions and memories. This approach is close to the thought of Merleau-Ponty, who wrote that 'seeing is action' - viewing an image is not a passive process, but an active co-creation of meaning (Phenomenology of Perception).

Through the juxtaposition of two different but corresponding creative attitudes, the exhibition reveals a broad spectrum of painterly abstraction. It is a meeting of delicacy and expression, silence and dynamism, organic fluidity and raw materiality. Forms of Transformation is not only an aesthetic dialogue, but also a story about the search for the essence of changeability - in the world, in the image, in ourselves.

Magdalena Szilke graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, where she studied easel painting in the studio of Prof. Stanisław Baj and artistic tapestry under Prof. Dorota Grynczel. She works in a variety of techniques, such as oil, watercolour, batik, mosaic or embroidery, but oil painting remains her main medium. Her works have been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including Totem (81 Degrees Gallery, 2023), Transitions (Autograf Gallery, 2017) and Triennale of Small Painting Forms (Wozownia Gallery, Toruń). In 2017, she was awarded a distinction in the Compass of Young Art.

Anna Świtalska-Jończyk - born in 1987, graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, obtaining a diploma in the atelier of Professor Krzysztof Wachowiak. She deals with acrylic painting, watercolour and wall painting. She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions, including Imaginarium (Autograf Gallery, 2017), Intensity (Ł Gallery, 2024), Osten Biennale of Drawing (Skopje, 2014) and Artistic Journey of Hestia (State Art Gallery, 2010). She is the recipient of awards, including 2nd place at the Animalis Triennale (Chorzów, 2011) and an award from the Eibisch Foundation (Warsaw, 2013).

vernissage 14 May, 7 pm
exhibition open until 18 June 2025 Galeria Test