Antoni Karwowski


Antoni Karwowski is a Polish lyrical abstraction painter and neofiguration painter and performance artist.

Early life & family

Karwowski was raised in a small town in Eastern Poland, surrounded by one of the largest nature parks in Europe, Biebrza National Park. His father, Jozef Karwowski, was a social worker and promoter of culture and his mother Larysa was a hairdresser. He has one younger brother, Maciej.
Karwowski grew up in a multigenerational family under the strong influence of his father and Russian grandfather, Szymon Zub. His father gave him his first drawing lesson, and his grandfather was also creative, writing poetry and singing old Russian songs. His later work was influenced by Polish and Russian culture and traditions, as well as a childhood surrounded by the wilderness that encouraged his sensitivity and strong feelings of individualism.

Painting and performance art

After graduating high school Karwowski started painting more and experimenting with different forms of art. He changed homes and universities several times while looking for a place where he could fully develop his talents. He worked as a miner while conducting his search, and later joined the Fine Arts Faculty at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, where he developed his talents and became a professional artist.
In early 80s Karwowski and Zbigniew Oleszynski started a Polish performance group known as "Group A". From that time on, Karwowski has been heavily engaged in performance art, both as an organizer and a participant. Since 2003 he has organized the International Performance & Intermedia Festival in Szczecin.
Throughout his career Karwowski has created his own style of which a Berlin art critic said, "From his images comes colorful light, which is created by perfection in his workshop. Metaphor of this light gives magical, surreal meaning to figurative elements in his paintings. The power of his paintings, aside from illuminating colors, comes from the richness of symbolic meanings and certain multilayer by which Karwowski ’s paintings are far from simple decorative function."
Karwowski's paintings focus on color and light, requiring close contact and time to fully understand. His paintings are housed in various private collections in Europe. He has also been commissioned by compound corporations and institutions, such as the in 2005. For the clinic, he created 53m long wall panels that have received attention from a wide audience.
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Art Exhibitions:

2010 - "Anders Gallery" -Lünen

2007 – "Anders Gallery" - Lünen

2007 - "ZERO Gallery"- Berlin

2006 - Museum of Art - Santa Fe

2006 - Museum Contemporary Art – Naples

2005 - "Galerie automatique" - Berlin-Strasbourg

2005 - Art Platform - Tel Aviv

2005 - Polish Art Fair 2005 - Poznan

2004 – Project "MOTION"- Berlin

2003 - V International Baltic Biennial – Szczecin

2002 - Berliner Landtag – Berlin

2002 - "Distance 777", 68elf gallery – Köln

2001 - Europäisches Kulturzentrum - Köln

2001 – “Kunst am limit”, "Pussy Galore"- Berlin

2001 - "RAUMTRIEB 2001", art festival – Berlin

2001 – "Wystawa malarstwa, Reimus gallery - Essen

1999 - Ostholstein Museum – Eutin

1999 - Galerie am Domplatz – Münster

1999 - National Museum in Szczecin - Szczecin

1996 – “Forum Ost – West” – Bergisch Gladbach

1994 - "Anders Gallery" - Lünen

1994 - "Forum Gallery" – Leverkusen

1993 – “Cztery Zywioly” – Museum Greifswald

1992 - "Gaia Cztery Sezony"- Gerlesborg

1992 - Municipal Gallery - Nakskov

1990 - "En Garde Gallery" - Aarhus

1988 - "Fine Art Gallery" - Trollhattan

1988 - XV Festival of Polish Contemporary Art- Szczecin

1987 - "Bridge West & East" - Antwerpen

1985 - "Nagra Malare" - Vanersborg

1981 – “Palacyk” - Wroclaw
Selected Performance projects:

2011 - La Porta 2011 - Barcelona ]

2010 - "My Tram" - Szczecin

2010 - "Extension Series 2" - Grim Museum 2, Berlin

2005 - "Reading White Books " - Tel Aviv

2001 - "Salz arm" - Berlin

1998 - “Sentimental trip on east" - Moltkerei Werkstatt, Cologne

1998 - "Middle ages anatomy" & "Gilgamesz – Enkind’s Dream” - Ermelerspeicher Gallery, Schwedt,

1993 - "The Last Breath of Aborigine” – Gerlesborg

1981 - "Koncert na Kaprala i grzalke" Teatr Otwarty "Kalambur" – Wroclaw

1980 – Public Space Action ”My Tram” – Torun
Cultural Projects involvement:

2003 - 2009 Curator International Performance & Intermedia festival – Szczecin

2002 - 2005 Co-organizer international performance project “Private impact”

1995 - 1999 Originator International Performance festival "Trawnik"

1992 - 1994 Co-organizer international project "Gaia the four elements"

1981 - 1986 Organized and kept Centre of Art in Swinoujscie

1980 - 1981 Cooperated as artist with Open Theatre Centre "Kalambur" in Wroclaw