Iwona Portfolio

"Garden of Paradise" tells the story of a place full of freedom, without rules, prohibitions, or limits. The well-being in this paradise is so deep that it must be experienced with all the senses, as words alone cannot capture it.

Different Love

"Different Love" explores love as a force moving through human relationships, a complex mix of emotions, dependencies, and desires. Unpredictable, diverse, and always requiring courage, love appears as romantic, friendly, fleeting, or even animalistic. Every form is an impulse not to be ignored, creating a fragile but essential whole in the system of giving and receiving.

Gust of Changes

"Breath of Change" was inspired by an intuitive premonition of upcoming global upheaval. Drawings from 2018 offer a futuristic vision of events—such as the pandemic, wars, and conflicts—that have significantly impacted the contemporary world. The cycle speaks of a reset that leads to necessary yet difficult transformations.

Brain

"Brain" is inspired by a friendship with Professor of Neuroscience Jerzy Vetulani. This cycle blends science with grotesque humor. The brain is shown as fragile and easily influenced, often taken over by other forces. Themes of escape, decay, and comic "mindlessness" appear throughout, reflecting how easily our inner order can be lost and how fascinating the organ defining us remains.

Liberated Women

"Liberated" explores women's freedom that comes from inner confidence rather than rebellion. Social changes opened the way, but true independence grows from within. The heroines are alive, free from ideals, needing to prove nothing. Background walls remind us of past and present limitations, while thought and self-expression create the space for genuine freedom.

Krakow Courtesans

"Krakow Courtesans" portrays Krakow's sex workers as projections of other people's desires and fantasies. Behind this surface, however, lie individual stories, struggles for survival, and a delicate balance between visibility and anonymity, between imposed roles and personal, quiet strength. Everyday life is contrasted with bridal shop windows, highlighting the gap between dreams and reality. Urban lights and corners become a metaphor for a world where dignity and sensitivity persist despite adversity.

Monstrosities

"Monsters" reach back to ancient imagination, where dragons and chimeras helped people face their fears. These fantastical creatures once played out battles between good and evil, and today they hide in contemporary anxieties and helplessness. Camouflaged in media-driven fear, they fuel social paranoia and divisions. Yet the creatures in this cycle are playful and therapeutic, symbolizing distance and resistance to overwhelming forces.

Kingdom of Heaven

The Virgin Mary appears in the spiritual and pop-cultural imagination. Her image is often reshaped or misused to justify beliefs. Monsters symbolize distortions of holiness and the loss of her human dimension. Yet under her cloak, there is room for everyone, even the sinners. These works question sacredness and inclusion. Tradition meets interpretation and imagination.

Botox will not get you into paradise

"Botox won't get you to paradise" is a commentary on conservative politics and a protest against the regression and dictatorship of the church. The works expose systems that limit women's agency and reduce their value to obedience and imposed modesty. "Botox" here symbolizes self-care pursued for one's own pleasure and satisfaction, challenged by societal and religious rules. The works explore personal autonomy and the pursuit of joy. They raise open questions about paradise and who can access it, and whether women who know their worth can be truly free.

Revolution

This cycle comments on Polish social and political life, where the urge for change and resistance to public absurdities grows. Full of irony and critical distance, the works show how tension and street emotions demand rebellion and revolution.

Life is a Dream

Developed for the Sinaloa Culture Festival at Galería Lopez Saenz in Mexico, "La vida es sueño" draws on Calderón de la Barca's baroque play set in Poland. The series depicts a fantastical realm suspended between reality and dream, exploring life's beauty, illusions, and fleeting nature. The works blend cultures and experiences, creating a dreamlike space where reality and fantasy merge.

Greek myths

Greek myths serve as a universal language for reflection. Mythical figures appear in contemporary settings, alongside wars, social change, and daily human struggles. The myths mirror modern experiences and connect the past with the present.

Portraits

"Portraits" captures real people, friends, strangers, and overheard faces. The accompanying text adds context, and each figure represents broader social experiences. Behind every face lies a story woven into everyday life.

Illusion

"Illusion" focuses on what is hidden beneath the guise of truth. The works show how people wear masks and how easy it is to be deceived. It is a story about uncertainty, ambiguity, and the desire to discover what is hidden.

War

Created during the first days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this cycle reflects massive migration and human fragility. The works are simple but powerful, capturing loss, solidarity, and vulnerability.

Gossips

Inspired by everyday conversations and rumors, this cycle illustrates an urban "tribe" living through stories, often blunt and unrestrained. The works reveal how words can build and destroy, capturing social games full of irony and human flaws.

Semiosphere

"Semiosfera" presents key city points shaping a personal map of the space. It is a glimpse into a landscape full of signs, where Dada-inspired fragmentation invites reading the city like a text. The works created as part of a doctoral research, defended at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow in 2009.

Comedians

The series depicts the comedy of life unfolding on the streets. People become protagonists of a bittersweet grotesque, and the works humorously explore the fine line between ridiculousness and human truth.

Life

Inspired by Dadaism, "Life" captures spontaneous urban moments, street walls, overheard phrases, and ready-made influences. The works form a visual diary of the city, where everyday elements take on new meaning.

Siwek 2 Siwek

A personal journey of self-discovery and artistic evolution, marking a significant period in the artist's development.

Israel

This cycle connects experiences in Israel with Krakow, the cradle of Jewish culture. Leopold Kozłowski, the last Kraków klezmer, is a symbolic figure. Drawings juxtapose prayers at the Western Wall, music, and religious rituals with Krakow's Jewish heritage, contrasting tradition with times of war and unrest. Ghosts of the past meet the present, and preserving memory is a central theme.

Zebu From Madagascar

The cycle focuses on Madagascar's Zebu cows, symbols of hard work, patience, and quiet effort. Often overworked and eventually destined for slaughter, their fate prompts reflection on human-nature relationships.

Adventures of the Sugar Baba

A playful, ironic take on a woman both charming and wild. The figure embodies intuition, strength, and mischievous rebellion. The works celebrate the freedom to be oneself, with all grace and defiance, beyond conventional notions of femininity.

Collage

An experimental series using collage techniques to create new meanings and visual narratives from disparate elements.

Drawings of a Flooded Artist

An exploration of water as both destructive and life-giving force, capturing the power and beauty of natural disasters.

Zodiac

An exploration of astrological symbols and their influence on human nature and destiny.

Self-Portrait

Self-Portraits were created quickly, during a difficult, intense moment. They are spontaneous recordings of emotions that emerged on the instant. Honest work, focused on releasing tension, became a visual mirror of an inner state.

Sketches

A collection of preliminary drawings and studies that reveal the artistic process and creative exploration.

Cats

An intimate portrait series of feline companions, exploring the mysterious and independent nature of cats.

Covid

"Covid" created during the pandemic reflects uncertainty, isolation, and the reshaping of daily life. With the world confined to homes, the works capture coping strategies and mark a moment that changed society.

Picasso

Serie of painting for my dog Picasso.

Birds

Colorful birds extend the world of "Garden of Paradise," symbolizing lightness, movement, and inner freedom. The drawings blend nature observation with imagination, creating a lively, fresh world.

Artworks