In his landscapes Krzysztof Klimek does not try to captivate the viewer with the charms of idyllic lands saturated with vibrant colors, as if from postcards from travels to the exotic Orient. The landscapes he paints are snapshots of the Polish reality which we have resigned ourselves to defining as ‘grey.’ However, when they are transferred to canvas, we discover in these secenes qualities which are hidden from us in the humdrum of everyday life - qualities issuing not only from a sense of attachment to our native surroundings, but also from the depth of nuances that the artist brings out through the medium of paint and the composition that he chose to employ to achieve this.

Klimek's landscapes are the result of hours of contemplation and sedulous work in the outdoors. They are a lesson in perseverance since, as he ventures out of the safety and familiarity of his studio, the painter faces fatigue, changing - and sometimes rather foul - weather condtions, as well as, fluctuating light. Perhaps that is why his paintings capture so perfectly the winter atmosphere of Southern Poland, smothered in smog and suffering from the spatial chaos of undulating hills dotted with scattered houses. There are far fewer spring or summer scenes in the artist's oeuvre - as he forgoes the lesser visual challenge and esthetic comfort in favour of arduous or melancholy-inducing experiences.

The exhibition is based on the juxtaposition of realistic landscapes with the second aspect of Klimek’s art practice  - that of abstract works, which can be interpreted as an expression of the search for a hidden order. The artist's minimalist, geometric compositions, restrained use of color, operating with broken whites, blacks and earth tones, seem like parallel worlds, hiding under the cover of visible reality - like a perfect mathematical formula that generates the field of our sensual perception. The different textures of paint make light and shadows further shape the canvas, which, when observed from different angles, takes on new dimensions. Klimek's abstractions are the fruit of a thorough understanding of the essence of painting - the observation of the relationship between forms and colours, along with references to the universe of visual symbols.

The opening of the exhibition was accompanied by a discussion whose participants were the artist - Krzysztof Klimek, Professors Andrzej Szarek, Jerzy Fober, Dariusz Jurus and the audience.

Krzysztof Klimek's paintings are waiting for you until January 26, 2025. You are cordially invited.

(ed. t/r AK)