EDYTA GRZYB INTERVIEW
Your use of electrifying colour immediately draws the viewer in. Through vivid neon tones and expressive portraiture, your work seems to exist somewhere between reality and fantasy. What emotions or ideas are you hoping to communicate through your paintings?
The central focus of my work has always been people. More specifically, I am fascinated by human emotion and the many ways it can be expressed visually. Through the use of contrasting colours and bold compositions, I explore emotional states while occasionally blurring the boundaries between reality and imagination.
I believe that colour is what truly brings a painting to life. Vibrant hues have the power to stimulate emotion, evoke memories, and create an immediate connection with the viewer. By combining cool tones with intense neon colours, I invite people into a dreamlike world where emotion becomes the primary language.
Your paintings are deeply expressive and emotionally charged. What inspires you to create, and where do your ideas typically begin?
Emotion is the driving force behind everything I create. Whether it is a feeling, a fleeting moment, or a personal experience, emotion is always the starting point.
I am constantly observing the world around me and collecting impressions, but ultimately it is an emotional response that compels me to pick up a brush and begin painting. Art allows me to transform those feelings into something visual and tangible.
There is a striking tension between the realism of your subjects and the bold, almost surreal colour palettes that surround them. How do you choose the faces and moments that ultimately become part of your work?
Many of my paintings are closely connected to my own experiences and emotions. I often find inspiration in fine art photography, searching for specific facial expressions, gestures, or moods that resonate with me on a deeper level.
When I find an image that sparks something emotionally, it becomes the foundation for a painting. From there, the process becomes very intuitive. The colours, textures, and final composition often evolve spontaneously as I work, allowing the piece to develop organically on the canvas.
Acrylic paint plays a significant role in your artistic practice. What draws you to the medium, and are there any materials or techniques you hope to explore in the future?
Acrylics allow me to achieve the strong contrasts and vibrant colour relationships that are so important to my work. The medium gives me the freedom to build layers quickly while maintaining the intensity and luminosity I am looking for.
That said, I am always interested in exploring new possibilities. In the future, I would love to experiment more with oil painting and challenge myself to achieve a similar level of contrast, depth, and colour intensity through a different medium.
Your work continues to gain attention internationally. What projects, exhibitions, or creative directions are you most excited about at the moment?
Recently, I have been developing a series featuring my "pouring glasses" motif, which has received an incredibly positive response. I returned from an art fair in Munich where visitors were especially enthusiastic about these pieces, and that excitement has inspired me to continue exploring the series.
My work has been exhibited in numerous local and regional exhibitions throughout Poland and Germany, and I am excited about several upcoming opportunities. I hope to exhibit in Warsaw this summer, and in the autumn I will be participating in the Affordable Art Fair in Hamburg.
I have also begun receiving invitations to exhibit in other countries, which is both exciting and inspiring. I am looking forward to expanding my audience, connecting with new collectors, and exploring creative opportunities beyond my current borders.