Katarzyna Karpowicz, born in Krakow in 1985, was born to paint. A daughter of painters, Sławomir Karpowicz and Anna Karpowicz-Westner, even as a child she knew that she would follow in their footsteps. Art has always been part of her life. Since she was surrounded by paintings, she knew interesting artists who visited the family studio, her parents had a courageous attitude to painting and her sister was always drawing, at the age of nineteen Katarzyna decided to enrol at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. At the Academy her painting tutors were Prof. Grzegorz Bednarski and Prof. Leszek Misiak. She graduated in 2010 by presenting a series of paintings entitled Immersions. The painter’s professional career began with what can be described as a sink-or-swim challenge. ‘Fortunately, I can swim,’ said Karpowicz in interviews. The young Fine Arts Academy graduate was well received by the art market. Her debut exhibition entitled Meetings at Krakow’s 2 Światy gallery was an immense success. Soon afterwards Katarzyna Karpowicz was awarded an honorary distinction in Eibisch Foundation’s painting competition and placed by the Art Campus in the thirteenth position in the Young Polish Artists’ Catalogue, which includes artists below the age of thirty-five. The painter’s determination and passion for painting have resulted in many other exhibitions and awards.

Today Katarzyna Karpowicz is opening an exhibition named On the Way. Several years after graduation, having considerable experience and an ever-increasing number of paintings in her studio, she has come a long way which has led her into unexpected places. Her path is marked by milestones, that is paintings bearing witness to the stages she has gone through on her way. The title of the exhibition does not denote a journey in the literal sense of the word, however.On the Way is a metaphor of changes to come in the painter’s life. Having spent years in Krakow in the company of artists, everyday rituals such as going from home to the studio, long conversations with her mother over a cup of coffee, soirées at her friends’ exhibition openings, she went for another sink-or-swim – she moved to Budapest. In the new place she had to reject the old contexts and build her sense of self-esteem. It was not an easy experience, one connected with searching for herself and rediscovering herself. The climate and temperature in Budapest did not resemble those of the artistic world of Krakow, and yet they attracted her and motivated her to work. In the new city one thing remained unchanged: the passion for creating. Everyday walks began to appear in Karpowicz’s paintings as if on their own, reflecting her state of mind, feelings and a fight for artistic independence. Meticulous observation of reality set in motion the need to create.