Opening of Robert Motelski's exhibition “Places”

We invite you to a unique exhibition of works by Robert Motelski.
In the exhibition “Places” the artist presents paintings inspired by the landscape of the Suwałczyny — a region he has visited frequently for years and which he rediscovers each time. Direct contact with nature is a primary source of inspiration for him. He does not look for specific topics - ideas and impressions arise spontaneously. Then he analyzes them in the laboratory, synthesizes the form, removes unnecessary elements and selects what is most relevant.

Exhibition opening: November 13, 2026 at 6:00 p.m.
The exhibition runs: 13.11. — 16.01.2027
Gallery of Contemporary Art Chłodna 20,
71 Teofila Noniewicza Str.
Admission Free!

The artist is not looking for specific topics. Observation of nature, light, space and changing atmospheric conditions provides impulses that are later processed in the laboratory. The starting point is always the study of reality, but the landscape is gradually reduced. The superfluous elements disappear, and what is most important remains - rhythm, order, light, color and space.
In the center of interest are the rhythm, order and tranquility present in nature. The starting point is always the study of nature. Fragments of reality are then processed and simplified — the artist removes the secondary elements, reinforcing what he considers most important.

The landscape is reduced to almost abstract, basic forms. Its character is determined by the color planes and the varied painting structures. In this way, images are created that are located on the border between abstraction and reality. The artist reduces the landscape to signs and symbols, seeking its most essential, universal dimension.

Inspirations for paintings arise primarily during trips and direct contact with nature. The images, impressions and experiences collected in this way return later in the studio, where they are subjected to analysis and painterly synthesis. For the artist, silence, space and the experience of meeting oneself are important — feelings that often escape words and can be expressed through images.

The titles of the works also play an important role. They are not the most important for the artist, but they are a record of time. They allow you to capture a specific moment — a situation, a light, a color or a compositional arrangement that may have occurred at a particular moment. Some motifs have been used by the artist for years. They return in subsequent works, each time taking a slightly different form and becoming a starting point for new ideas.

The inspiration for the way of naming paintings through the recording of time was, among others, the works of the Japanese artist On Kawara.

At the exhibition “Places” in the “Chłodna 20” Gallery, the artist presents works from the series: Shadow, Stars, Fog, Bonfire, Bridge, Reed, Snow, Barn and Light.

About the artist:
Robert Motelski was born in 1977 in Warsaw. In 1997 he graduated from the State Lyceum of Fine Arts in Warsaw. In 2002 he graduated with distinction from the Faculty of Painting of the European Academy of Arts in Warsaw, under the supervision of Professor Barbara Szubińska.
Previously, he studied in the studios of professors Antoni Fałat, Andrzej Sadowski and Ewa Pełka. He participated in more than a hundred individual and collective exhibitions. In 2004 he received a scholarship from the Creative Promotion Fund from the Ministry of Culture and Art. In 2008 he received a scholarship “Young Poland” from the National Centre of Culture. His works can be found in many institutional and private collections in Poland and abroad, including Samsung The Frame, as well as in numerous publications such as “Encyclopedia of Polish Painting” by Kluszyński Publishing House (2012) and “Landscape in Polish Painting” (2017) by Arkady Publishing House. His artistic interests focus on the study of landscape and the innovative way it is Presentations.