The Dark Arts. Aleksandra Waliszewska and the Symbolism
Aleksandra Waliszewska, one of the brightest talents of the contemporary Polish art scene, creates bold paintings that have attracted a wide range of admirers that go beyond the traditional art audience and also includes alternative and pop culture spheres. Her work has appeared on music albums and her artwork has been used to illustrate a lyric book of the world-famous singer Nick Cave.
Aleksandra Waliszewska's work explores dark themes
The Polish artist does not refrain from using eerie details in her work. Her paintings are full of traditional symbols presenting human mortality – skeletons, disemboweled bodies, naked organs, oozing wounds, festering corpses, desecrated graves and skulls. The overcoming of fear and disease in Waliszewska’s work can be linked to other masters of Polish Symbolist movement “Young Poland” (Młoda Polska), who through the movement combined their existential struggle of terminal illnesses with irony, self-loathing and exaggerated self-importance.
Modern Art Museum, Warsaw
