Kasia G

You resumed painting after a ten–year break. What prompted you to return to your artistic practice in 2018, and how has your vision evolved since then?

After a ten-year break, I returned to painting in 2018 because I realized that creating art was the most genuine way for me to engage with the world.

The transition back was not easy – it was gradual and at times frustrating. In the beginning, I explored many styles and experimented with different mediums, but for a long time I struggled to find my own voice. Gradually, I began to develop my own artistic language. It felt less like a decision on my part and more like something that found me – almost like a calling.

The forms and imagery began to rise out of the fragments and rhythms of everyday life, capturing both what is visible and what often goes unnoticed.

Your portraits often balance classical references with surreal or symbolic elements. How do you decide which symbols or interventions to include in each work?

Each element I include – whether symbolic or surreal is chosen intentionally. Classical references give the work a sense of familiarity, while surreal or symbolic interventions introduce deeper layers of meaning and reflection.

I aim to create moments that encourage viewers to pause and question, rather than offering fixed answers. These gestures, objects, or alterations are meant to open a space for interpretation, allowing each person to engage with the work in their own way and discover their own meaning.

Kasia G | You Will Never Know Her | 2025

Growing up in Poland during the communist era and later immigrating to the United States must have deeply shaped your perspective. How do these experiences surface in your art?

Growing up in a small town in Poland and later moving to the United States gave me two very different perspectives on the world. Experiencing such a dramatic change made me realize just how much our surroundings shape us, often altering our perspectives in lasting ways.

This sense of shifting identity is reflected in my art. I find myself exploring what we show to the world and what we keep hidden, the parts of ourselves shaped by memory, culture, personal experience and observations. These influences filter into my work through gestures, symbols, and the figures I paint, almost like echoes of where I’ve been and what I’ve carried with me.

Many of your works position the female figure as both historical and contemporary. How do you see the role of women in your paintings—as subjects, symbols, or reflections of yourself?

In my paintings, the female figure is more than just a subject – she is a witness to the world around her. She carries hints of history through classical poses or vintage clothing, yet her face feels distinctly of today.

This blend creates a bridge between past and present, inviting us to see her as part of our own time. Through subtle symbols and surreal details, she encourages thoughtful reflection and personal connection. Each figure holds an openness that expresses the rhythms of daily life and the hidden, often unseen emotions we all carry.

Kasia G | The Unseen Whisper | 2025

In a visually saturated culture of trends and curated appearances, your art embraces restraint and stillness. What draws you to this aesthetic of quiet reflection?

I am drawn to stillness because it offers a rare pause – a space where both the artwork and the viewer can breathe and engage beyond the noise of a fast-paced, image-saturated world. In a culture filled with trends, spectacle, and constant consumption, calmness becomes an act of resistance, an invitation to look more closely.

Through restraint, I shape the work to allow emotions and ideas to emerge freely. Delicate gestures and surreal elements highlight contrasts and surprises in my collection. I purposely place unexpected details to provoke thought and reflection.

This approach encourages viewers to engage with the work, connecting to their own feelings, memories, and often overlooked moments in everyday life.

Several of your works incorporate surreal imagery—like the hollow apple or figures with unconventional headpieces. What is the relationship between these dreamlike elements and contemporary identity?

When I weave surreal elements into my work – like a hollowed-out apple or an unexpected headpiece – I am adding small twists on the everyday that make us look twice. These are not meant to point to a single meaning, but rather capture the complex experience of being human today.

By placing these dreamlike touches alongside familiar forms, I hint at the blurry space between the self we show the world and the self we carry inside. It’s like holding up a mirror to those quiet, contradictory moments we all feel.

My goal is not to hand out answers – it’s to spark curiosity, a sense of life and mystery, inviting viewers to pause, reflect and perhaps see their own inner world in a new light.

Kasia G | The Core Was Empty | 2025

How do you hope viewers will engage with your paintings? Do you want them to interpret the symbolism, or simply to pause and feel the atmosphere?

Ideally, I hope my paintings offer an invitation, a chance to step back and connect with yourself. I want viewers to feel that space, to breathe with the work and sense its atmosphere deep within.

At the same time, the symbols in each piece open doors to deeper layers, encouraging a gentle exploration that reveals new meanings the longer you stay with it.

More than anything, I want the work to stay with you, not just visually, but emotionally and imaginatively – inviting your own questions and reflections long after you have stepped away.