Sketching Emotions: A Workshop with Kaja Gadomska

A sketch is an introduction and the very beginning. It allows you to quickly outline a concept, but it’s also great for capturing a fleeting thought, idea, or feeling. It takes many forms and is an essential part of the creative process. It opens up access to the unspoken contents of the mind and hidden reserves of creativity. It becomes an excellent tool for uncompromising self-discovery and self-expression. If we sketch regularly, we create a kind of intimate “emotional diary” that effectively regulates and organizes the flood of daily impressions.

 

An abstract sketch does not depict specific scenes or objects. It speaks to us solely through shape and color. Its meaning remains open to interpretation, depending on the viewer’s personal experiences, while also serving as a unique record of the artist’s own emotions. This is a challenge for the artist seeking new means of expression, as well as for the viewer, because it defies expectations and encourages a highly subjective reception.

 

The spontaneous gesture of drawing plays a key role in Julie Mehretu’s body of work. In her creative practice, the artist often employs techniques reminiscent of automatic drawing, gestural drawing, and free notation. This is particularly evident in her works on paper. Mehretu usually begins the creative process with intimate, very quick sketches. In this way, she builds a unique “vocabulary” of lines, signs, and strokes. It refers directly to the physical act of drawing, the mindful tracking of breath, and the rhythm of the hands at work.

 

In the practical session, Kaja Gadomska will invite you to engage in deep reflection. Together, we’ll consider what moved us most in the last day, week, or year. Then, using the techniques Julie Mehretu so readily employs, we’ll recreate those emotions directly on paper.

We’ll do this without absolutely any pressure or unrealistic expectations regarding the final result. We’ll give ourselves space for uninhibited expression, which is precisely what the language of abstraction allows.

 

 

Important information: We strongly encourage you to bring your own sketchbooks or calendars! You’ll be able to start keeping your own private drawing journal in them.

 

Kaja Gadomska (b. 1990) – visual artist. In 2014, she received her degree from the Faculty of Graphic Arts at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. In her work, she combines an interest in color and form with the process of seeing. She pays particular attention to the unique impression that arises from direct contact with an image. She focuses on universal concepts within painting, such as harmony and composition. She explores the differences in perception that arise when we analyze a painting as a whole. She places great emphasis on the role of the artist’s personality and the importance of time spent working in the creative process. She analyzes the possibilities of perception and the factors that determine whether a painting effectively catches the eye and has a strong impact on the viewer. She lives and works in Warsaw.