Individual exhibition

BWA [Art Exhibition Office]

Sandomierz, Poland

12 February - 6 March 2016

Sculpture is most likely the oldest of the visual arts, and the earliest representation of the human figure is that of a woman – a symbol of fertility. Cult figurines known as "Venuses," discovered in Austria, Germany, Moravia, and Ukraine, date back to the Paleolithic era, with some estimated to be as old as 400,000 years (such as the Venus of Tan-Tan in Morocco or the Venus of Berekhat Ram in the Golan Heights). Sculpture imitates nothing and hides nothing. Although it often serves as an illustration of another reality, it is a work that can be touched; thanks to its three-dimensionality, it can be viewed from every side, and due to the material used – most often stone – it conveys a sense of immortality. Shapes – as forms bounded by multiple planes – surround us everywhere and create our reality. The shape closest to a human being is themselves. In the hands of an artist, the human form becomes a personification of concepts and ideas – such as good, evil, love, or freedom – seen in works like the "Dying Gaul" from the 3rd century BC or E. Delacroix’s "Liberty Leading the People." We can consider the concept of shape in the context of both Matter and Spirit. Gaya Lastovjak, by creating sculptures on canvas, gives concrete shapes – such as a torso, a hand, or a foot – to the spiritual aspects of concepts and feelings. She points to a certain multi-layered nature of meanings through the direct presentation of hidden signs and content. In doing so, she opens up the possibility for us to interpret and search for the essence of things beyond the layer of matter itself. The author refers to the human being and their place in the world, in society, in the environment to which they belong, and in the family. Her "Game" – a composition also known as "Chessboard" – is an expression of the author's observations on the role of the individual who has been objectified and forced into the frames of games and conventions, exploiting their fears, feelings, and weaknesses. However, the author also points out that we often enter into various dependencies ourselves, wearing masks intended to protect us from the outside world – or, perversely, we attempt to deceive others ourselves. Gaya Lastovjak's metaphorical compositions, such as "Escape," "Crossroads," or "Polish shoes," tell stories of ordinary people and ordinary life, where there is room for love and faith in another human being, despite their imperfections and frailties. Particular attention is drawn to perhaps the most modest piece in the exhibition, an intimate composition depicting footprints – "Self-portrait." It is an extraordinary work that does not leave the viewer indifferent and lingers in the memory, provoking with its message: that the trace we leave behind is what truly matters, not how we look or what stage of life we are at.

Written by Katarzyna Pisarczyk

Full publication [click here]