The title of the exhibition comes from a manifesto by Ryszard Winiarski, a prominent geometric artist who, in response to the imposition of martial law in Poland during the 1980s, re-evaluated his artistic approach. Somewhat similarly, Karolina Jaklewicz experienced an evolution in her own work in reaction to the socio-political climate of 2015–2023, during the rule of the United Right coalition. As the dominant narratives of the public debate shifted to the right, Jaklewicz began to address political and social issues through the language of geometry.
Having graduated from the Faculty of Painting at the Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław (2007), Jaklewicz’s early works explored architectural spaces defined by geometric forms and intersecting planes, characterised by a restrained colour palette. By 2010, however, she introduced her series Painful Geometry, followed by works addressing feminist issues, including motherhood, gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, ecological concerns, and, more recently, the state of Polish democracy, with critiques of populism and nationalism. Her subsequent projects tackled themes like the fascism infiltrating Polish society, homophobia, anti-women’s legislation, and the plight of refugees and migrants.
Jaklewicz’s art never descends into anecdote or literal representation. Instead, she employs a sophisticated system of painterly symbols that, combined with the evocative titles of her works, form a clear statement on the issues she seeks to address. In a field as universal as geometric modus, she has developed her personal, easily recognisable language. As Luiza Nader notes in the monographic book of the artist’s work, “Jaklewicz’s abstract painting, by refusing to use figuration and literal representation, counters the violence and brutality of images (media and otherwise) of extreme events that inundate the viewer on a daily basis.”
In addition to her artistic practice, Karolina Jaklewicz is an accomplished publicist and writer, having published three novels: Jaśmina Berezy (2020), Czarne łabędzie, biały puch (2022), and Luna (2024). She also curates exhibitions, such as Polish Hospitality at Wrocław Contemporary Museum (2019/2020).
The exhibition offers a retrospective of Jaklewicz’s paintings from 2002 to 2023, accompanied by a fully illustrated bilingual monographic book, published by the Culture and Art Center in Wrocław and edited by Dorota Monkiewicz. The catalog includes essays by Leszek Koczanowicz, Luiza Nader, Piotr Lisowski, and Dorota Monkiewicz.

Curator: Dorota Monkiewicz

Start 13.02.2025, 6pm
20 Gdańska St.
End 27.04.2025