XY Anka Mierzejewska

Concept & Approach

For over three decades, art has been my weapon and the language. I work in series—each one an unflinching dissection of an idea that refuses to let me go. I believe in art for art’s sake, yet I also believe that we cannot escape the time we live in, and that its mark will be visible whether we wish it or not.

Current Focus

Right now, I am haunted by the realisation that humanity has learned nothing from the horrors of the Second World War. We are polarising into opposing camps and losing the ability to speak to one another meaningfully. I study the works of psychologists, spiritual teachers, and philosophers—those who, across centuries, have examined human nature and the origins of war.

I see a profound failure of communication—an inability to express our needs without violence. The practice of nonviolent communication is, to me, an urgent necessity if we are to end conflict—whether within families, between nations, or across the globe. This urgency runs through my recent painting series of 2024 and 2025.

Previous Themes

Before that, my focus was on men—a historically privileged group—because, as a woman, I had experienced repression and the reality of second-class citizenship. Yet I reject simplistic moral binaries: women, too, can be aggressive and territorial. My 2022 series imagined a world after the gender wars, where women have the right to speak without restraint and men have the right to feel without shame.

In earlier years, I explored how, in the era of globalisation, the western values I was raised with—goal-setting, career-building, achievement—are being challenged by asian philosophy, which invites us to find fulfilment in the act of being alive, not in the pursuit of a single outcome.

Each of these explorations has shifted my understanding of the essence and purpose of life. I had once been at war with life itself. Over time, my work has documented the process of withdrawing from that battle and embracing a responsibility for the well-being of the world. This evolution is evident throughout my series and exhibitions.

Influences

I am drawn to German expressionism, as well as the work of Joan Mitchell, Francis Bacon, Martin Kippenberger, and Helen Frankenthaler. My primary medium is large-scale acrylic paintings on canvas, complemented by black-and-white charcoal and pastel drawings.

Form

My passion lies in the raw, gestural energy of experiment, where minimalistic restraint and maximalist expression meet on paper. The studio is a scientist’s laboratory. I am excited to push boundaries and experiment with new fabrics and paints to work toward a minimalist form, leaving the space of the painting open for light, breath, and interpretation. I value most the pieces that are large in size yet look like watercolors—filled with air. The stroke of the line must be defined, sharp, and direct—perfect and imperfect at the same time. I like unpredictable line tracks clashes with flat color fields. All art takes its origin from the existing world, so while I move toward abstraction, I still value the presence of humanoid lines. The challenge of such painting is that the canvas surface cannot be repainted; it must be completed with the first and only touch.

Exhibitions & Practice

Every year, I present my latest work in a solo exhibition—whether in a gallery, a museum, or any space that can contain the urgency of the theme. I believe art must be shown in the heat of its relevance, when it provokes, challenges, acts. Wherever I exhibit, I am present in every detail of the process—from concept to installation.