Dariusz Stopikowski’s objects are the result of his fascination with things and combining them into uniform wholes saturated with a great load of emotion. Generally speaking, his art is akin to the creative legacy left behind by Władysław Hasior. As a matter of fact, the artist himself jokingly calls his works „Basiorami” (a pun on Hasior). But looking for Stopikowski’s fellow artists, one may undoubtedly find many more. Suffice it to mention Marian Kruczek, whose objects inspire and fascinate with their uniqueness; or Jerzy Gąsiorek, who creates in similar convention.
Stopikowski’s works fit into the canon of artistic endeavours based on borrowing and compilation of elements most often recycling ones, creating new wholes. Paradoxically, this is not an easy task, because in such cases it is not difficult to dominate the literary significance of the contents over the issues of the artistic form. In the images-objects presented at the exhibition we are dealing with reasonable selection of details arranged into artistic stories. These are the elements of a high intensity of meaning, because they are mostly referring to the origin of man.
As the essence of the struggle of the artist over the last few years, I will use a piece of text by a prominent author, Father Jerzy Wolff:
When your starting point is a vision, during your work it slowly, apparently, melts. And the original vision is slowly replaced with a vision of the image you have to paint using your knowledge of what the image is all about. Hence, you are never a „copyist” of the original version, but constantly a creator of an image, therefore you still have to use your artistic knowledge otherwise you’ll be never able to handle the task. It will guide you in fact, this knowledge. The knowledge about what the image is actually about, in its deepest literal content, that is the artistic, formal content. The knowledge that it is basically, simply, some artistic construction.
(Jerzy Wolff, „Failed Excursion”, „On Art” part; found on the Internet).
Dariusz Stopikowski creates his half-spatial objects which are thoroughly thought-out artistic constructions. These are wise, moving works, extremely personal to the artist himself. Watching them, we have a chance to discover new values in them, a completely different, often surprising meaning in the sphere of associations and poetic metaphors. They are exciting, they move our imagination.
Marian Stępak (introduction to the exhibition guide)

Dariusz Stopikowski was born on June 27th, 1957, in Grudziądz. Studied at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Nicolaus Copernicus in Toruń.
Diploma in painting, under Prof. Stanisław Borysowski, received in 1983. He paints, does assemblage, photography, designs and creates functional art, computer design.
His works were presented at exhibitions in Poland and abroad. Member of the Association of Polish Artists (ZPAP).