I found out about this exhibition from a cultured Polish friend living in London, who told me while we were having a drink that this new Polish artist is very heavily promoted these days and that she has an exhibition in one of Central London’s galleries. I immediately jumped on the train next day to check out her work. I wanted to know, that kind of art is it these days that is heavily promoted?
To my surprise the Gallery was quite small and not completely filled up with artworks. I thought it must take a lot of courage to not feel like you need to fill out the space entirely. She had one massive wall covered in 12 pieces of etchings on oxidised brass, like 12 months of the year. She had a few smaller pieces at the end of the room and two metal wrinkled plants sticking out from the walls at various heights. A bit like a terrarium or a greenhouse as there were bits of ceiling with massive greenhouse style slanted windows. The brass planes were 100 x 200cm and placed right next to each other. The etchings were mostly of large plants typical to see when you drive through polish countryside, but they were pretty much human size. I could see my reflection in the leaves of the sunflowers, smooth gold, and when I squatted down the roots were etched in an old botanical album manner. There were roughly sketched hands and feet in between the plants, as if they were touching them gently. There was a whole person next to one of the plants and I could see my reflection in that person. It all felt very familiar, aesthetically pleasing and modern at the same time. Then I read the catalog describing the context of nature, ecology, alongside coltural identity, borders, displacement but also work about humble plants that have the ability to make great change. The gallery space transformed into a garden tells a story of both fragility and strength. It makes me feel sentimental and homesick reminding me of polish summers. That said makes me wonder where home actually is? In London, where after years of travelling I have built a new life for my family and recently got my citizenship, not out of a dream to be British, but out of fear of war and uncertainty? Or is it Poland, where I have parents, who have connections, who are always eager to help yet I always feel slightly trapped, like there are so many people to take care of, like anything I get from my family has a price?
It also reminded me of my time at Warsaw Arts Academy, 1st year of BA Graphic Design, when we spend a bit of time scratching out artworks in small metal plains, then burning them in acid and creating prints. I never thought the metal pieces them selves could become pieces of art.
Overall impression was that these were very pretty gold and pink metal plates that I could imagine someone very rich could use as splashbacks in their kitchen. Esthetically pleasing and with a deep story to back it up, but not too deep and too personal as not to make the viewer too uncomfortable. Very different from the Virtual Beauty exhibition at Somerset House, which made me feel quite uncomfortable but in a good way, it made me consider and think about the difficulties of accepting oneself in the world where one’s body can be completely virtually amended beyond the point of recognition.
VIRTUAL BEAUTY SOMERSET HOUSE SEPTEMBER 2025
