KAROLINA JABŁOŃSKA
b. 1991, PolandDeeply felt and keenly observed, Karolina Jabłońska’s paintings often depict everyday situations that capture the awkwardness of certain common activities. As the artist has put it, ‘the paintings come from small sensory and emotional impressions.’ Yet, the personal is also political: metaphors for emotional states, inherent in these paintings are references to the role of women, the existential threat to their bodies and restrictions imposed by political realities.
Monumental depictions of faces—a striking portrayal of her own features that has come to function as a stand-in for the artist but also for a more generalised alter ego—suggest strong emotions but also evoke a visceral response in the viewer. Pairing dramatically distorted points of view and expressive colour, the works have an immediacy that is leavened by art historical painterly references and a distinct dry wit.
Karolina Jabłońska, born 1991 in Niedomice. Lives and works in Kraków.
Jabłońska studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (2010—2015). Residencies and fellowships include Scholarship in Vysoká škola uměleckoprůmyslová v Praze UMPRUM (2014—2015), LIA Programme Residency, Spinnerei Leipzig (2018), Fern Residency, Brussels (2021), Fores Project Residency, London (2022).
In 2024, Karolina Jabłońska’s work will be presented in a solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Sopot, as well as in a group exhibition at the Dallas Contemporary Art Museum.
Selected solo exhibitions include: Dinner, Piana Gallery Foundation, Krakoẃ (2023); Cold, Raster Gallery, Warsaw (2022); No rest for the weary, Steve Turner Gallery, Los Angeles (2021). Institutional group exhibitions include: Mainly for Women, SCAD Museum of Art, Savannah (2021); Sensation: Closer to the people, Kunstverein Schattendorf (2019); Paint also known as Blood, Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw (2019).
Institutional exhibitions as part of the artist group Potencja include Potencja – Humoral Theory: Quattro Stagioni, Galeria Bielska BWA, Bielsko-Biała (2022); Potencja – Humoral Theory, BWA Zielona Góra (2021).
Courtesy Esther Schipper
Explore and Follow Artists Shaping Contemporary Art
A respected voice in contemporary art discourse.
Focusing on ambitious storytelling and insightful art-world commentary. Ocula Magazine publishes in-depth interviews, critical essays and timely analysis on the artists, exhibitions and ideas driving the global art world.
Learn more about Ocula Magazine
Showcasing the best of the art world.
Ocula partners with galleries from around the world to highlight their artists, artworks and exhibitions. Gallery membership is by application and invitation, with each member vetted by an independent panel.
Learn more about Ocula Membership
Specialises in the sale of major artworks.
Led by a team with deep ties to the world’s leading auction houses, galleries and collectors. Ocula’s advisory team offers bespoke services to high-net-worth clients from around the world who are looking to acquire the best of contemporary and modern art.
Learn more about our team and services