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“When I was able to capture it and show it on the canvas, the painting is done and ready to be shared with the world.”
Kasia Kręcicka: The Journey of a Multifaceted Artist
Kasia Kręcicka is a painter, educator, and, more recently, a mother. She was born in a mid-sized town in Poland called Wloclawek. Coming from a rather large family of five children, two parents, and occasional cats and dogs, Kasia always sought ways to make herself visible and establish her own identity while avoiding feelings of being lost or alone, typical of a middle child. It was her mother who recognized Kasia’s potential and took the initiative to enroll her in art lessons at the age of nine, setting the foundation for her artistic journey. Thanks to her upbringing and the unwavering support of her parents, Kasia’s creative juices have been able to flow freely.
Growing up as a middle child in a family of five, Kręcicka navigated the delicate balance of seeking personal visibility and maintaining her connectivity within the familial structure. This dynamic, she believes, greatly influenced her developmental journey as an artist. The inception of her artistic journey can be attributed to her mother, who identified and nurtured the creative spark within her. Recognizing a nascent talent, her mother enrolled her in art lessons at the tender age of nine, setting in motion a chain of events that would lead Kręcicka towards her destined path.
Her early foray into art, under her mother’s guidance and amidst her mother’s own paintings, sowed the seeds of conviction within Kręcicka. She resolved that the path of art could be hers, should she wish to tread upon it, and tread she did. Following her graduation from the Fine Art Academy, she embarked on a four-year sojourn into the world of graphic design. This detour, encompassing two professional stints, solidified her resolution to devote her life to the arts, revealing an unyielding call to artistic creation that could no longer be ignored.
Renouncing the conventional definition of a ‘real’ job, Kręcicka heeded her true calling and embarked on a full-time artistic career. She commenced her professional journey by showcasing her works at the Young Artist Auction, a popular platform within Polish auction houses. However, as her confidence solidified and her artistic journey evolved, she transitioned into an independent artist. Today, she continues to passionately create art, offering her distinctive pieces directly to an enthusiastic collector base through platforms like Instagram and her personal website.
Exploring the Fluidity of Kasia Kręcicka’s Artistic Style
Defining the artistic style of Kasia Kręcicka is a venture that wanders into the territory of the abstract, an area she perpetually navigates with a visionary spirit. In the fluid realm of her creations, she delves into the subtleties of mark-making and color, shifting her focus between these elements in an ongoing dance of exploration.
Kręcicka’s collections often oscillate between two extremes: some lean towards a color-focused minimalism, while others embody a more expressive nature, abundant in intricate mark-making. This stylistic fluidity mirrors the constant ebb and flow of her creative process, a testament to the versatility ingrained in her artistic DNA.
Three predominant sources of inspiration inform her work: an introspective journey of self-discovery, the melodious allure of music, and the eternal grandeur of nature. Each source engenders a unique creative response within Kręcicka, imbuing her work with a myriad of different tones and textures. She delights in the uncertainty of each new venture, acknowledging that every artistic journey is a unique experience.
Perhaps the most significant challenge Kręcicka grapples with is the quest to let the creative process unfold organically, without being stifled by her own introspection. It’s within this abstraction that she has found her narrative voice, her ability to encapsulate a moment, a feeling, or an emotion. Her work is an attempt to document her subjective experience of the world, translating ephemeral emotions into tangible art forms.
When a painting successfully captures her emotional reaction to a specific moment, Kręcicka considers it complete, ready to share her stories with the world. Even outside the confines of her painting, she constantly explores how she can transcribe the emotions evoked by music and sounds into abstract shapes and marks. It’s a pursuit of finding a visible language for the invisible, turning the intangible into a form of artistic expression.
Diverse Mediums and Influences
Kasia Kręcicka has navigated a diverse terrain of artistic mediums throughout her career. From an early age of ten, she found herself captivated by the elegance of watercolours and the rich texture of oils. However, during her formative years at the academy, Kręcicka discovered her predilection for acrylics, valuing the medium for its swift workability – a feature complementing her naturally fast-paced creative rhythm, which oils, with their long drying time, could not accommodate.
Kręcicka’s artistic practice manifests a fervent interest in experimenting with varying fluidities of her paints. She ventures into the use of dry pigments, innovatively incorporating elements such as bricks, sand, and burnt wood to create unique pigmentations. Her relationship with water, a cherished companion in her painting process, reflects a nostalgic nod to her beginnings with watercolours and an appreciation for the luminescent works of the Impressionists, whose abstract elements resonate with her.
When considering influences, Kręcicka’s sources of inspiration span both historical and contemporary periods. She holds a profound admiration for Helen Frankenthaler and the Ninth Street women, acknowledging their significant contributions to the presence and representation of women in the art world. Other influential figures include John Holland, Yves Klein, Per Kirkeby, and Mamma Anderson, among others.
The artist’s work is also significantly imbued with musical influences. She finds both melody and lyrics inspiring, engaging in her artistic processes to the accompaniment of diverse music genres. From the soulful jazz of Coltrane to the raw energy of Janis Joplin, the heartfelt folk of Mumford and Sons to the classic rock anthems of The Band and Kiss, Kręcicka’s eclectic taste serves as a ceaseless source of inspiration. She finds resonance in virtually any melody capable of igniting a spark within her creative spirit.
The Creative Process Unveiled: Inside Kasia Kręcicka’s Mind
The inner workings of Kasia Kręcicka’s mind, teeming with countless distractions, find solace in the physical act of inscribing her thoughts on paper. It is not uncommon to find these musings playfully posted on her refrigerator, a tangible testament to her commitment to mental clarity. While she possesses the capacity to operate amidst a degree of disarray, disorganization proves to be her nemesis. For Kręcicka, the concept of ‘creative chaos’ or ‘artistic mess’ only comes to life when underpinned by a system of order.
Kręcicka’s creative workspace is a universe of its own, governed by distinct laws. Natural light, with its warm, soul-enriching vibes, reigns supreme in her studio, illuminating the very floors she toils upon. Essential to her creative process is a cozy couch or chair, inviting her to take contemplative pauses, observing paint dry and strategizing her next artistic move. The scent of coffee marks the inauguration of her day in the studio, a ritual of sorts. Her recent proclivity for handwritten over mental notes necessitates a notebook nearby.
The artistic process for Kręcicka is a dynamic dance involving a spectrum of potential tools and hues waiting at arm’s reach. Her spontaneity thrives on the unpredictability of her creative demands – a sudden requirement for neon pink amidst the domination of golden browns, for instance.
One artwork that profoundly resonates with Kręcicka is the “Arnolfini Portrait” by Jan Van Eyck. This painting opened her eyes to the intricacies of art history and painting, kickstarting her artistic journey. The piece taught her the significance of symbols, the power of detail, and ignited a lifelong admiration for the artwork.
Another piece that left an indelible impact on her was JMW Turner’s “The Fighting Temeraire.” She perceives it as a paragon of emotional storytelling, its unique composition and arresting palette leaving her in awe.
Looking ahead, Kręcicka envisions establishing her own art residency. She envisages it as a humble abode, inviting artists from diverse locations and backgrounds, to engage in enriching exchanges of inspiration. Her aspiration is to create a melting pot of diverse creative energies, fueling one another’s artistic endeavours.
