Rafał Kostrzewa

Born in 1961 in Katowice. Studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Diploma in the studio of prof. Tadeusz Dominik in 1987. The artist's first solo exhibition took place in 1985 at the Stodoła Gallery. Two years later, the artist's works could be seen in Rotterdam at the Academy of Fine Arts and Galeri Alles and at the Warsaw "Zachęta". Rafał Kostrzewa's painting is a derivative of his fascination with the avant-garde of the early 20th century - Fauvism, Cubism and Expressionism, it constitutes a dialogue with the avant-garde breakthrough in painting of the early 20th century. Kostrzewa's work is characterized by a color scheme based on a minimalist palette, contours painted in expressive black resemble the works of Léger, and the geometric shapes of the figures refer to both Cézanne and Picasso. His paintings are full of intense colors, bringing to mind Matisse and the Fauvists. The artist's paintings, depicting animals, plants, sensual figures of women and men, exude hedonism combined with a subtle note of melancholy. Silhouettes of dogs and foxes fill the surface of the canvas and are its only characters, at other times they are just an addition or background. Sharp, bold colors and rich painterly matter have a suggestive effect on the viewer's imagination. The artist's works are known internationally and desired by collectors all over the world, they can be found in Polish and foreign collections.