This spring in Stockholm coincidentally sees three next-generation Polish painters putting their mark on exhibitions at three different galleries. Or perhaps, it’s not so coincidential at all that Aneta Kajzer, Paulina Stasik, and Julia Kowalska are all now making their presence known to the audience given how bustling Polish contemporary art has been since long, and not in the least with painting in the recent years.
Aneta Kajzer
You are currently presented in a solo show “Meet Me When the Shadows Are Longest” at Stance, the latest gallery addition to the local art scene. What were some of the considerations that went into the show?
Stance has a unique space—it’s not the typical gallery white cube. I thought paintings that play a lot with light and shadow and strong color contrasts would work well in this setting, so I kept that in mind while creating this new body of work.
Your work really needs to be seen up close. We love the balance between abstraction and figuration, the occasional cheekiness, and foremost the usage of contrasting palettes, and pastels with dark colors.
First of all, I try not to be afraid of any colors! They can be strong and bold or soft and pastel, beautiful bright blues or “ugly” muddy browns. Sometimes the color combinations are harmonious and sometimes they are disharmonious which makes the paintings more interesting to me. I always mix the colors directly on the canvas and often let them flow into each other, so I never know exactly how they will turn out. It’s a very playful and intuitive process that always brings something new to the table.
Where do you turn for inspiration?
Inspiration can really come from anything. It can be a beautiful sunset, a song that I find and love, or an interesting color combination of an everyday object that I see somewhere. When I’m really low in inspiration I watch a Studio Ghibli film from my Blu-ray collection. Hayao Miyazaki’s movies are not only visually beautiful works of animation, they always give me this special feeling – somewhere between happiness and melancholy. Perhaps that is the feeling I’m searching for in my work as well.
What’s your approach to seeing shows? Do you get around to seeing much?
I get around seeing a lot but I still don’t always manage to catch every show I really want to see. There are phases where I’m deeply engaged in my studio practice and I don’t really feel like going to galleries or museums. Other times I really feel a need for input and I go and see several shows in a day. What I always love to do is to visit my artist friends in their studios and see what they are working on.
You are preparing for a new solo show at Semiose in Paris later in the year. Being represented by the gallery and having exhibited in two past shows; what are some of the ideas for the upcoming show?
Semiose is doing a series of publications called “Corpus Painting” that accompany the shows of their painters in the program and I’m happy that this time it’s my turn. It’s been a little while since my last publication so I’m very happy about this opportunity to realize my first catalog with the gallery.
Julia Kowalska
We just had the pleasure of seeing the ongoing duo show “To Fragment is to Lessen / To Fragment is to Multiply” with you and Natalia González Martín at Coulisse Gallery. It’s a seamless dialogue, occasionally almost difficult to tell you apart. “Desire” seems obvious, but what were some of the themes you had in mind for this body of work?
I explore women’s multiple identities and the fluid perspectives of the evolving female gaze. The ambivalence inherent in the female body is a space that joins contradictory drives together, a space of reproduction, provision and eroticization, fascination and repulsion, and finally pleasure and endured pain. The body, in general, contains these clashing dichotomies, but the female body, the canonical object of desire, draped in various taboos, references a wide spectrum of cultural and religious contexts of female figures behind feminity.
The female body has been categorized as unknowable and unspeakable. The paintings in the exhibition depict cadres of body parts, a bent head, breasts as a fountain of divine elixir, thighs resembling a vessel in their shape with flowing hair growing out of the womb, and a smiling upside-down face with swirling strands of hair. The fragmentation of the woman, cutting and separating, makes it possible to build and see her in manifold parts and unify contradictory pieces, the impossible contradictions of female sexuality, the collision of flesh and myth, desire and devourer.
The paintings in the exhibition also share a focus on hair as exceptionally potent and sensual, rooted invisibly under the skin, associating with the interior, fantasies, and longings. When thinking about representations of the female body, hair is a vital element present in transitions and all initiatory processes, the eternal image of beauty, fertility, and seduction
We were told that you for the show had departed from AI-rendered images, which when told makes a lot of sense. There’s definitely an air of eeriness, uncanny. Tell us a little about the process that went into the making of the works in the show.
At the beginning of my figurative painting practice, I mostly relied on working with models, either recreating scenes from my sketches or ideas I had in my head or improvising with them. I started using an AI image generator out of curiosity typing descriptions of my projects into it to sort of confront my vision with the imagery it offers. Soon I realised it obviously won’t replace working with real models but may contribute an inspiring extension, as generated figures, bodies, gestures, and repetitive faces offer entirely different expressions. They are already processed from thousands of anonymous photographs of bodies, and faces, which produces the unsettling effect of prepared dolls. I’ve found it very inspiring, as the notion of uncanny itself has been an important inspiration for me. I hope to alienate the viewer, to alienate from the familiar body, focusing on the carnal, to alienate from the female figure as a voyeuristic object.
It’s very evident that you are a very talented painter. A particular painting comes to mind (Looking Back, 2025) where the hair is so mesmerizing to look at. The brush strokes and the shimmering golden palette, just stunning. Who are some of the painters that have been important to you?
I spent a ton of time getting acquainted with Renaissance painting in my school days, and I keep coming back to it. I also went through a lot of fascinations, the most important being perhaps Leonora Carrington, Georgia O’Keeffe, Marlene Dumas, and Miriam Cahn. Currently, I am following closely the careers of Ambera Wellman, Louise Bonnet, Elizabeth Glaessner, Chloe Wise, and Plum Cloutman.
You are based in Warsaw. We’ve been monitoring the Warsaw art scene for years, ever since a visit to Warsaw Gallery Weekend back in 2015, and love how happening it is, especially now with the new Modern Museum of Art. From your point of view as an artist, how do you find it?
Warsaw is good to live and create in. The art scene is diverse and really brings together interesting individuals. Also, the young and fast-growing art market introduces interesting dynamics and international exchanges. As for the Modern Museum of Art, it is an absolute must-see, I am very excited to see future exhibitions in the new museum building.
Lastly, what else is coming up for you this year?
I am currently working on a body of work for a duo presentation at Market Art Fair in Stockholm this spring, together with Swedish artist Fabian Bergmark Näsman. After that, I have a much-needed break and then I am looking forward to various new projects towards the end of this year.
Paulina Stasik
You will soon be taking part in the group exhibition “Shi Shi Chi Chi” that we are curating at Belenius. Would you like to share some words on what you’ll be showing?
I’m very excited to be part of the group exhibition “Shi Shi Chi Chi” at the Belenius, where I will be presenting two paintings: “In the Mirror” and “In the Half Step”.
Both paintings explore the theme of searching for one’s identity in a changing world. “In the Mirror” depicts a figure gazing at her reflection, wrapping her hair around her finger in a gesture reminiscent of pulling back a slingshot. This tension suggests a moment right before shattering the mirror – an act of defiance against societal expectations and imposed roles. The mirror represents the external gaze, the stereotypes tied to femininity, and the pressure to conform to a certain image. Breaking the mirror can be seen as an attempt to break free, to take control of one’s image, and to define oneself on one’s own terms.
On the other hand, “In the Half Step” shows a figure balancing on one leg in a rushing stream. The water symbolizes the passage of time and constant change, and its unstable surface prevents any clear reflection. This highlights the difficulty of finding oneself and the moment of hesitation before making a decision.
The motif of the mirror – literal in one painting, symbolic in the other – ties the works together, depicting moments of confrontation with the self, as well as uncertainty and the ongoing search for identity.
You use a very distinct color palette (oftentimes shades of red, blue, and purple) which really resonates with us. Tell us about your rapport with colors, and also on your painting process in general.
Color plays a deep role in my paintings as it acts as a carrier of emotions. As you mentioned, shades of red, blue, and purple dominate, creating tension and a specific atmosphere for the stories I portray on the canvas. I paint through the confrontation of colors, which not only coexist but also create tensions and contrasts, much like the emotions in our lives. The world I paint is filtered through these colors because, in my view, life is a collection of extremes – love and pain. I try to balance between them, blurring the lines and allowing them to flow smoothly into one another.
I apply thin layers of paint, gradually shaping the composition. I often repaint sections of the paintings, following my intuition rather than a rigid plan. This way, the image gradually emerges from the chaos of colors. It’s quite a lengthy process for me, which is why I like to spend regular time in the studio, watching as different parts of the painting take shape.
While we’re familiar with Warsaw as a city, we’re not very in tune with Kraków, where you have been based ever since you started studying at the art academy. What can you share about the local art scene?
Being an artist in Kraków is quite a pleasure. Many of my friends rent studios in old tenement houses—while they may not be in perfect condition, their great locations near the Old Town make up for it. My own studio, on the other hand, is in an old warehouse belonging to the railway station, and I’ve been painting there for eight years now.
Kraków doesn’t have many commercial galleries, but there are plenty of artist-run spaces, which keeps the local scene close-knit and vibrant. There are a lot of painters working here, and quite a few have already gained international recognition. At the same time, many of my friends are represented by galleries in Warsaw, so we exhibit there quite often. From my perspective, it’s a pretty convenient setup.
But above all, I think the friendships that started back in our student days are the most important part—being in this city definitely nurtures those connections.
As avid readers, we’re curious to know if you might be reading anything you’d like to share.
I just finished reading Piotr Oczko’s book Suknia i sztalugi. Historia dawnych malarek (Dress and easel. Stories of old female painters). It’s really fascinating story about the journey women had to take to pursue their artistic dreams. It’s a story of their efforts, their fight to be seen, not just for a place in the studios but also for the right to compete.
The book features dozens of self-portraits of female artists at work – almost as if they wanted to immortalize their talent and undeniable place in the world of art. The theme of the self-portrait is very close to my heart, so this book perfectly aligns with my interests. Also, many of these names were new to me. Honestly, I’m not sure if this book has been translated into English, but I can recommend something in a similar style – The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel. Lately, I’ve been really into biographies of female artists, so I’m on that wave.
Lastly, what else is coming up for you later in the year?
This year, I’m working on a book that will be released alongside the opening of my institutional exhibition at BWA Tarnów in October. The exhibition itself is especially important to me, as I will be presenting my latest paintings, which this time come together to tell a more personal story. The book will serve as a natural extension of the show, featuring reproductions of my works from recent years along with my own texts, offering deeper insight into my process.
I’ve been thinking about publishing my paintings for a long time, but I wanted it to be more than just a catalog. I often write down my thoughts on painting, and now, together with the curator, I’m selecting the most compelling fragments to shape a cohesive and engaging narrative—one that unfolds through both images and words.
Aneta Kajzer’s exhibition Meet Me When the Shadows Are Longest runs at STANCE Gallery, Storgatan 25 in Stockholm until March 20.
Julia Kowalska’s (duo show with Natalia González Martín) To Fragment is to Lessen/To Fragment is to Multiply is showing at Coulisse Gallery, Gävlegatan 10B until March 29.
Paulina Stasik‘s group exhibition Shi Shi Chi Chi (alongside Rebecca Lindsmyr, Jo Dennis, and Jala Wahid) curated by Ashik and Koshik Zaman opens at Belenius, Ulrikagatan 13 in Stockholm on March 28 and runs through April 26.
Interviews by Ashik & Koshik Zaman.
Art/image credits:
1) Kristofer Johnsson (installation image of Aneta Kajzer’s solo exhibition Meet Me When the Shadows Are Longest at Stance, Stockholm, 2025).
2) Aneta Kajzer, Keep Calm, 2020, oil and acrylic on canvas, 280 x 200 cm.
3) Aneta Kajzer, Mean Girls, 2024, oil and acrylic on canvas, 160 x 120 cm.
4) Portrait by Renaud Monfourny, 2022.
5) Aneta Kajzer, Rainbow Vibes, 2022, oil on paper, 48 × 36 cm.
6) Julia Kowalska, Untitled, 2024, oil on canvas, 100 x 130 cm.
7) Julia Kowalska and Natalia González Martín, duo exhibition, To Fragment is to Lessen / To Fragment is to Multiply, Coulisse Gallery, Stockholm, 2025.
8) Julia Kowalska and Natalia González Martín, duo exhibition, To Fragment is to Lessen / To Fragment is to Multiply, Coulisse Gallery, Stockholm, 2025.
9) Julia Kowalska, Precious / Perelka, 2025, oil on canvas, 92 x 72 cm.
10) Julia Kowalska, Looking Back, 2025, oil on canvas, 130 x 140 cm.
11) Julia Kowalska, Joy-Apple , 2024, Oil on Canvas, 80 x 100 cm
12) Julia Kowalska by Jakub Czyż.
13) Paulina Stasik, Stones, solo exhibition at Raster Gallery, Warsaw, 2023.
14) Paulina Stasik, At one’s fingertips, 2023, oil on canvas, 100 x 80 cm.
15) Paulina Stasik, Kiss, 2020, oil and acrylic on canvas, 150 x 160 cm.
16) Paulina Stasik, Trying to mend wounds, 2022, oil on canvas, 140 x 130 cm.
17) Paulina Stasik, Dreaming Heads, 2023, oil on canvas, 170 x 140 cm.
18) Paulina Stasik, Becoming one, 2022, oil and acrylic on canvas, 160 x 170 cm.
19) Paulina Stasik, Self-eater, 2021, oil and acrylic on canvas, 100 x 80 cm.