Tadeusz Ciemierkiewicz creates a peculiar and inquisitive vision of the world, interpreting the experiences and emotions of a man hung between earth and heaven, reality and transcendence, irrevocably connected with nature. He depicts interpersonal relations, everyday routines, the mythical energy and force of nature, freedom and enslavement, he describes the common mixture of values. He explains the essence of the globe, incomprehensible, enigmatic, full of understatements, unusual situations and peculiar creatures. He paints emotional and expressive paintings which comment on the artist’s life events and experiences. He intrigues us with particular openness in perceiving visual elements composing our reality and messages of various categories and skillfully transforming them into enchanting and unique works of art.

The painter, graphic designer and jewelry designer lives and works in the Lemko village of Uhryń, near Nowy Sącz, far from the hubbub of the city and the cultural life center. He abandoned the traditional form of presenting reality and expressing his internal feelings, he rejected the figurative aspect and resigned from traditional principles of composition, subordinating his artistic quest to various transformations of forms and metamorphoses of shapes, visualizing relations between circular and linear layouts of strips, trails and stains; he uses brave colors and shiny reflexes. He skillfully places on his canvas visual zones of chill-out, intimacy and balance, contrasting them with the areas of impetuousness, changeability and dynamism. It is difficult to assign the artist to any specific creation trend, or any defined painting style. Undoubtedly, his position in art is connected with principles of abstract expressionism, the trend characterized by freedom of artistic expression, spontaneity, freedom and variety of activities. Ciemierkiewicz’s abstraction is genuine and direct art, vital and sensual.

His paintings are inspired by human existence, the world of nature, which uncompromisingly and fiercely clashes with the world of civilization; he externalizes emotions, feelings and dreams teeming inside a man. For the past few years the author has consistently worked on his “Biographies” cycle, which clearly and convincingly confirms his participation in art and social life. Biographies record Art is the way of forgiving the world for its evil and chaos. Leszek Kołakowski: The Presence of Myth the life and activities of people, they are credible testimonies of their presence in a specific place at specific time. Man – compared to eternal earth environment, air and water, light and darkness – lives in this world just for a few moments, does a few things and leaves. He hurries in order to leave a few thoughts, images, concepts and ideas, buildings and objects, appliances and machines, works of art, literary and music pieces or movies. He aims at presenting and interpreting the elements of human existence, the beauty of nature. Tadeusz Ciemierkiewicz based his artistic creation of the world, the interpretation of the relations between people and the forces and rhythms of nature, on the symbolism of four elements: earth, water, air and fire, which have been considered to be the basic elements composing the universe since the ancient times. Their thorough spectrum of meaning allowed the artist to visualize ideas and cultural signs and human emotions and feelings in material and metaphysical dimension. The earth symbolizes the life-giving force, mother, wisdom, fertility, cyclicality of existence; it is not only the beginning but also the grave to which life returns. The earth element is used in magic practices to break the spell cast on people and objects. Water defines material and spiritual power of rebirth and purification, it symbolizes good, truth, femininity, magic, transformations and chaos. Air is a symbol of breathing that is vital for life, a symbol of biological and spiritual life, the beyond, freedom, memory, dream, eternity, heaven and invisible forces, spirit and contemplation. Fire – active element, destructive, but also renewing – is a symbol of eternity, the original cause of existence, love, home and hospitality.

Ciemierkiewicz’s paintings constitute peculiar areas of meditation and consideration of the sense and complexity of existence, the will to live, the beauty of nature. They are a very personal and convincing interpretation of the human “me” dimension. Their quivering and pulsating with energy surface shows us the power and charm of the universe, its mysterious galaxies and nebulas, star constellations. They are the trustees of our experiences and emotions, successes and disappointments, joy and pain. We cannot identify human figures on them, we will not see objects, houses, streets, trees, but looking at them we feel intellectual and emotional energy, intensity of the surrounding space, the lightness of air, the transparency of water. They create a metaphorical way which a man walks, crossing the territory of his real and spiritual life. The artist looks carefully into history, but also takes a close look at the presence – usual, everyday presence, as well as mysterious intriguing presence that does not yield to easy comments or interpretations. He draws our attention to the differentiation of opinions and vies. He cautiously speaks of existential metamorphoses and transformations, warns us against the demolition of the order of the existing structures. He observes the changeability of nature, reacting to the ever-changing landscape. His painting and other life passions prove that these are not forced activities, that this is not the way of escaping from the turbulence of everyday life, the adversities. His works do not contain any one-off communications or political manifestos. The creator has the right to paint everything that his consciousness and sub-consciousness tell him, he has the right to deal with the issues of infinite space and unimaginable experiences. Ciemierkiewicz’s suggestive and vibrant paintings, built only from the sets of colorful stains and lines, shining with unique visions of existence, are deeply rooted in our reality and they meet all the requirements that art should fulfill. Tadeusz Ciemierkiewicz’s imagination helps us create our own, original perception of the world – dynamic, full of various permeating and overlapping phenomena, events and peculiarities, the world that is divided, submerged in chaos and disorder or in silence and gentleness. The artist impartially interprets our place in the world, which has become a huge collection of objects and matters, concepts and convictions, emotions and irritations, successes and failures. He makes it easier for us to learn our strengths and weaknesses, righteousness and submissiveness, emotional bonds between people. He defies the belief that abstraction hinders the recognition of the world, its rules and principles.

Jerzy Brukwicki, text published in the catalogue of the exhibition BIOGRAPHIES