Roksana Kularska Krol tells Lumarte about the incredible events in Kazimierz Dolny, Queens of the Night, matriarchy, and other things which help shape her work.

Can you tell us why are you exploding in Kazimierz? It's the first thing that intrigues us.

Hmm.. Why does Kazimierz explode? Well, whenever I go to Kazimierz there always comes a moment when I feel like I'm exploding. What I mean is, my everyday life just falls off of me - the stress, the nerves, all the worries. It's like the atmosphere in the city is so cordial that embarrassment seeps out from you, you become completely free. There are two explosions in Kazimierz and they are based on what happened in the city in 2010 - there was a tornado in the main square. It was an extreme experience for me - the wind swirls around the whole market, there was sand everywhere, the bar umbrellas are trying to break free and launch into space. The whole thing only lasted a few moments but it was so incredible and had such an impact on me that it became an inspiration for the whole series of paintings. It was then when I painted my first painting except it didn't feature a tornado but an explosion. Explosions are in general very colourful and Kazimierz is a city of artists, of paintings and paint stained streets. It's an explosion of colours. This magical reality suits Kazimierz very much - it's a city made out of stories, from myths, and children's tales.

Roksana Kularska Król , The other great explosion in Kazimierz Dolny

Since we already know where, we want to know who. Who are Queens of the Night, where are they flying to? What do they want?

The Queens were created in Kazimierz. One could say they were born from idleness or rather from the act of being idle whilst bored and sitting at the market. Queens of the Night were perhaps inspired by the crowds passing through the market or maybe they have always been in my head and I only noticed them on that day in August 2012. To this day they are all over my canvases. Later I realised they were everywhere - in the street, in parks and in shops, on playgrounds. There are different kinds of Queens too, for instance Violetta Villas about whom there is a series of paintings is okne or The Creators of Kazimierz who are closely connected to that place. Mythical creatures from my very own private mythology who created Kazimierz.

Roksana Kularska Król, Escape of the queen of the night

How did The Creators come to be?

The concept of The Creators comes from my point of view that if it wasn't for women our world would die. In this sense women are and always have been the foundation, the refuge. I'm inclined towards matriarchy. I truly believe women are wonderful! Which is why I decided to portray them in such a role - as creators of this magical city Kazimierz.

What's next for you after this 'dark, terrifying series' Queens of the Night?

Taking inspiration from my working in a big corporation I want to create a series Offices. :)

artist's gallery:

http://www.lumarte.eu/en/roksana-kularska-krol-a70

Elżbieta Owczarek. Take a pause. Painted with Light.

2017-03-24

After seeing Emilia’s Dziubak illustrations you won’t look at insects the same way.

2017-01-24

Roksana Kularska Krol tells Lumarte about the incredible events in Kazimierz Dolny, Queens of the Night, matriarchy, and other things which help shape her work.

Can you tell us why are you exploding in Kazimierz? It's the first thing that intrigues us.

Since we already know where, we want to know who. Who are Queens of the Night, where are they flying to? What do they want?

How did The Creators come to be?

What's next for you after this 'dark, terrifying series' Queens of the Night?

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Elżbieta Owczarek. Take a pause. Painted with Light.

After seeing Emilia’s Dziubak illustrations you won’t look at insects the same way.

● Agata Wierzbicka ● exhibition

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