Jakub Ciężki How does velvet smell?

How does velvet smell like?  
 

Is it possible to visualise what velvet smells like? This is the question Jakub Ciężki asked himself in his work on abstract paintings. The starting point for his thinking about abstract compositions is his fascination with the world of unobvious scent combinations. It has accompanied the artist for a long time and permeates the creative process in many dimensions. As he himself admits, it is difficult for him to separate the painting process from the sensual sphere. Sometimes the scent appears first, becoming the inspiration for the work, and sometimes he thinks about colours through scents and experiments with their juxtapositions. Some of Ciężki's paintings bear the names of perfumes created by the niche brand ‘Slamberhouse’. As in the case of ‘Norne’ from 2021, whose scent is said to evoke the north of Europe, forest, needles, earth, moss and darkness.

The exhibition prepared for Molski Gallery in Poznań will highlight how abstract painting and the world of scents come together in a surprising way. Their reception is entirely based on individual sensory impressions, which have been shaped by experiences gathered over time.

The exhibition will present Ciężki's paintings from recent years, including several new unshown compositions that reflect artistic attempts to find an answer to the question of the smell of velvet.

Curator: Paulina Olszewska

exhibition opening: Wednesday, 18 September, 2024 at 6 p.m.
the exhibition will run until 10 October 2024