July 2021
Curated by Victoria J. Fry

ABOUT THIS EXHIBIT

Joanna Pilarczyk Radecka is a London based contemporary painter and art educator. Her colourful paintings, full of patterns and plants, are inspired by people, their stories and their closest surroundings. She finds her inspiration among her friends and also strangers she meets in the city. Joanna’s recent paintings from her Intimate Times series were created during time of isolation. In her colourfully decorated flat filled with plants, and isolated from family and friends, her surroundings and her partner became her only world, more intensely felt and observed than ever before. The results of these heightened observations are these pictures - the ordinary but touching intimate scenes of their everyday life enveloped by light, colour, patterns and textures of their shared home-cum-studio- the other character in her paintings.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Joanna was born in 1980 in Gubin, a Polish town on the borders of Germany. She started painting and drawing at the age of five and became very popular in school helping other children create. She was then sent to art college in 1995 in Zielona Gora,and after five years she gained a diploma from the faculty of painting as the best student in the class. In 2003, she went to study Visual Arts where she gained her MA degree in Fine Arts (specialising in oil painting) in 2008.

Arriving 8 years ago in London from her native Poland, a country she describes as "grey and non-multicultural", Joanna fell in love with the city immediately. Amazed and entranced by many cultures and the vibrant life of the city, she took her sketchbook everywhere, indiscriminately and discreetly recording people on the streets, in parks and cafes. Fleeting moments, everyday lives were rapidly captured in her sketchbooks, as she made her first responses to "being hit by the exciting lifestyle and different, interesting people from all over the world."

As she grew more settled in her new environment, Joanna began to paint oil portraits of new acquaintances and friends within the artist community of North London. In these paintings, the person is set within their surroundings, in a pub, a garden or at their place of work, and always with a vibrant palette of colours.

Pilarczyk has exhibited widely in her native Poland, and since moving to the UK has continued to show her work during exhibitions, at venues such as the Boomer Gallery, Candid Arts Trust, Autonomous Gallery and Hive Dalston. She currently showcases her artwork in the virtual exhibition 'Intrinsic Nature,' organised by The Curator's Salon. Her paintings from 'Intimate Times' series are going to be exhibited in Mixx Atelier Gallery in Telluride, USA from 25th July. Also, another exhibition titled 'Through the Keyhole' is coming up during Frieze in London, curated by Virginia Damtsa, an art dealer at Virginia Visual Arts. Joanna's artwork features in numerous private collections.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My goal is to create paintings which are not only visually interesting through use of a vibrant palette of colours, unique backgrounds, or expressive brushstrokes, but to also show a true portrait of the person who I decided to paint. Since I can remember, people have always been the most fascinating subject for my work. I present the portraits of those who are close to me as well as of others who I meet on a daily basis. Often there is a synchronicity of events - opportunities will present themselves when I might least be expecting them. I try to catch these extraordinary moments and people in my mind and capture their unique, individual expression. My work attempts to introduce unique personalities in their natural environments and convey the emotions which these people are sharing with me. The paintings are a reflection of my inner dialogue with the person who I am portraying. The use of bold and contrasting colours is especially important for me. I am drawn to artists such as Henri de Toulouse- Lautrec, Egon Schiele, Matisse, Lucian Freud, Frida Kahlo. They all captured human fragility and strength whilst at the same time combining their fascination with psychology and the narrative of everyday life.

My paintings showcase ordinary moments from my life with my partner Jarek Radecki (also an artist) in the past year. Though the paintings depict us physically together in the same room and also alone. They reflect our mental state in the extraordinary situation that we all found ourselves in 2020-2021. I never thought I would live so intensely and intimately with just one other person, even though I think of him as my soulmate - this situation affected my hopes, dreams and doubts. We were both so lucky to have each other but also were unable to escape each other. But we eventually found a way to be together and also be alone. Much of my work at this time focuses on what I found in our relationship, sharing moments in quiet without words spoken.

The painting 'Sunday Chill' shows a dual portrait full of vibrant colours at a moment when we let go of all worries and negative thoughts. I want us to stay in these moments and not to feel fear and insecurity as to our future after Covid. In other paintings I enjoy the quiet and comfort of my room and warmth of the sunlight on my skin. I sleep and dream of warm, oriental places that I would like to visit but I know that it may be not possible for a long time. To tell the story in my paintings I use a vibrant and clear colour palette, beautiful patterns, and a specific, usually central composition in each scene. I want the viewer to feel the sunlight from my pictures, to enjoy colour and the positive atmosphere. I would like to share a piece of my small intimate space where I can still find the inspiration.