Cedar House Gallery
Exhibition: November 29 – December 6
Opening Reception: December 1, 2023
Title of Exhibition: RETREATING. Reflections from the Edge of the World
Artist: Wioleta Kaminska
Interdisciplinary body of work featuring paintings, photographs, collages and video landscapes.
Exhibition Dates: November 30 – December 5, 2023
Opening reception: Friday, December 1, 6-9 PM
Artist Statement:
RETREATING. Reflections from the Edge of the World is an interdisciplinary body of work featuring paintings, photographs, collages, and video landscapes inspired by Iceland. In the summer of 2022, Kaminska completed two artists residencies in Iceland, SÍM and GILFÉLAGID. During those two months, the artist had numerous opportunities not only to explore dramatic scenery and experience moments of stillness and reflection but also to connect with the local community and learn about their language and culture. The “Retreating” series portrays the fragility and momentary nature of constantly shifting landscapes. Through different media the artist depicts the transformation of existing environments and the formation of new ones; from destruction to new land emerging. Icelandic landscapes serve here as a metaphor and point of reference. Kaminska’s work highlights scenery where time appears still, yet where a steady and constant change occurs. Her message to the audience is to slow down, reflect, and experience a sense of wonder, especially when stress, anxiety, and the unknown are the norm of our everyday existence.
“On June 14, 2022, I stood in front of mighty Svínafellsjökull, an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap in Europe. It is located 320 kilometers (199 miles) away from Reykjavík. The scene was breathtaking, to say the least. A number of emotions swept over me the very moment my eyes lay on the glacier. First, it was a feeling of awe. I stood in silence for quite some time trying to take it all in. Looking at the glacier and reading about its retreating, I caught myself thinking of the relationship between the glacier and the human race, as well as the role we play in shaping current and future landscapes, literally and metaphorically.”
Artist Bio:
Wioleta Kaminska is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist, designer, linguist and educator. She received an MFA in Design from California College of the Arts in San Francisco, an MA in Applied Linguistics from Warsaw University and a BA in ESL Teaching from Gdańsk University in Poland.
Kaminska’s work has been published and shown internationally in contemporary art festivals, media art biennales, gallery exhibitions and conferences. Some of the photocollages, paintings and a video landscape from the series “Retreating” are currently on view at Telfair Museums’ Jepson Center, Sulfur Studios: A Project of Arts Southeast and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia – MOCA GA.
Website: wioletakaminska.com
Instagram: wioletakaminska
Attached images:
Retreating #3, Acrylic on panel, 8 x 10 in, 2022, Wioleta Kaminska
Sleeping Arctic Fox, Acrylic on canvas, 14 x 11 in, 2023, Wioleta Kaminska
