Kinga Nowak
Polish, b. 1977
Kinga Nowak rose to prominence with a generation of figurative painters in her native Kraków. Her paintings, communicating psychological tension, are influenced by Classical art, Constructivism, and Surrealism. She cites the vagabond Odysseus as an archetype in her canvases. In the 2010s, Nowak expanded her practice to abstract sculpture, installation, and textiles, manifesting an interest in avant-garde stage design. Nowak studied at Beaux-Arts in Paris (2000–02) and, in 2001, graduated from Kraków’s Academy of Fine Arts, where she is currently a professor. In 2000, Nowak co-founded the Kontrapost Young Artists’ Association, and in 2015, she co-founded the Widna Gallery. A solo show in 2018 at MODEM Center for Modern and Contemporary Art brought together her paintings and three-dimensional work for the first time.


