Bio

Born in 1968 (nee Piecuch) in Częstochowa (Poland). She graduated from High School of Arts (majoring in Art jewellery) in her home city. Studied at Warsaw Fine Arts Academy at the Faculty of Conservation and Restoration of Paintings and Polychrome Sculpture between 1988-1996. The artist mastered her craft in the Academy Workshop of Prof. Teresa Pągowska at Faculty of Graphic Arts at Warsaw FAA as well as in the workshop of prof. Dr H Borys’ – also at Warsaw FAA, both of which gave her the solid knowledge of the old masters’ techniques such as: gilding and glazing – later often used in her own works.

Having obtained her MA diploma, the artist moved to Salt Lake City (US) and became associated with the American  Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. Szafert also collaborated with Museum of Fine Arts at the University of Utah. During those years in the States she actively continued pursuing and working on her own painting.  In 2001 the artist moved again, this time to Rennes (Brittany, France) where – as she pointed out herself – was completely possessed by the work on her paintings.

The artist draws much inspiration from her extensive travels; to China, Japan, Singapore, Africa, Australia, to name just a few.

Sylwia Szafert currently resides in Wrocław (Poland) where she lives with her family. She runs and manages her art studio called “La Commune de Paris” in which the painter spends most of her days. This is the meeting hub welcoming all artistic souls and encouraging all sorts of artistic activities but, above all, it’s the Artist’s place of work.

The Artist on her painting:

“I stand in front of the blank canvas. And it’s time for the first move, placing the first brush, never knowing what painting comes into being. This is the moment I like the most, the white “unwritten” subtle and rough surface of the canvas before me.

I paint the world  as I experience it every day; I look around, listen to music, read, and I remember. This sensual record stays in my head and possible themes wait for their turn to manifest themselves on the canvas.

I travel far and wide as I paint. I put gilding and glazing, and thick layer of paint. Sometimes I tear off what I’ve painted and start again from the scratch. Time flies unnoticed while I work. I listen to music or silence is my music. This is a solitary ‘job’; I am left with my thoughts and in an ever continuous dialogue with the canvas.

I am drawn to both the simplicity of composition and the richness and decorativeness of detail. To me everything is a landscape; human body and still nature. I like complex themes depicted through elegant simplicity of artistic forms and this struggling of the every move of my brush which has to be well-thought-through and considered, and – ultimately – it’s utterly mine.

The gentleness and sincere naivety of children intrigue me; it is subtle, almost invisible to the naked eye, expressed in small gestures, in anatomy, in the growing up of the body, and in its awareness.

 I immortalize those elusive feelings of shame, happiness, or alienation. The human figures in my paintings may appear silent and static, although they’re always in an inner and intimate connection  with a spectator, with surroundings, and with each other.

Possible ways of perceiving and experiencing this reality are different but there’s always this first thought, this amazement of what we are looking at and seeing…”

 

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS AND AWARDS

1990-94

  •  1990-1991 Stypendium Akademii Sztuk Pięknych w Warszawie, Polska
  •  1991 – Zbiorowa Wystawa Kopii Malarstwa Średniowiecznego – Galeria Arka, Nowy Świat Warszawa
  • 1990 – 1994 Zbiorowe Wystawy na ASP w Warszawie 

2006

  • 01. 2006 Indywidualna Wystawa Malarstwa pod Patronatem Zachęty w Częstochowie – Galeria Piwnice Margaux, Częstochowa
  •  03. 2006 Zbiorowa Wystawa Malarstwa pod Patronatem Zachęty w Częstochowie – Galeria Borek, Biskupice
  •  04. 2006 Indywidualna Wystawa Malarstwa, Miejska Galeria Sztuki, Częstochowa
  • 05. 2006 Galeria Rewolucja, Opening, Wrocław
  •  06. 2006 Zbiorowa Wystawa pod Patronatem Zachęty w Częstochowie  Galeria Biały Borek, BiskupicE

2007

  •  03. 2007 Indywidualna Wystawa Malarstwa, Galeria Zero, Berlin
  • 05. 2007 Indywidualna Wystawa Malarstwa, Galeria Rewolucja, Wrocław

2009 

  • 2009 Blue Dog Gallery, Brighton (Great Britain)
  • 2009 EXHIBITION, Patronage of Zachęta Gallery/ Borek. Biskupice Gallery (group exhibition) (Poland)

2015

  • Wystawa KATACHI NO AJI | SMAK KSZTAŁTÓW, Galeria Platon, Wrocław

2016

  • 2016 Wystawa CHANOYU hotel Sofitel, Wrocław