The fifteen gouaches by Aleksandra Waliszewska in the collection of MSN are a small part of her oeuvre, which consists of thousands of paintings. These works illustrate well the uniqueness of this painter on the contemporary art scene. Waliszewska creates narrative images combining the fairytale and the macabre. Apart from people (mainly women and girls), the characters include animals and all kinds of fantastic creatures. Many depictions can be associated with folk tales, such as the gouache in MSN's collection with a water-carrier gazing from a bucket at a woman at a well. At the same time, the images are saturated with contemporary humor. Scenes taking place on the outskirts of civilization, in dark forests, wetlands, deserted villages and towns, can be full of violence (Lynching) and permeated with the atmosphere of death. The dystopian tenor of her work has garnered Waliszewska the reputation of a painter of the apocalypse.

The artist draws inspiration primarily from pre-modern art, with allusions to the medieval or Young Poland imaginarium. Waliszewska herself is a person of deep learning, but no special competences are required to appreciate her art. Her paintings are based on motifs firmly rooted in culture and familiar to a wide audience. She also intertwines “high art” with the aesthetics of comic books, computer games, films.

Waliszewska has a large group of fans. Novelist Szczepan Twardoch, film director Agnieszka Smoczyńska and musician Nick Cave are among those admitting to a fascination with her work. The internet has helped the artist penetrate various environments, in Poland and around the world. Since the early 2000s, she has continually shared her latest works online.

[M.P.]