Tomasz MASIONEK, A long time ago....

160x100, oil and putty on canvas, 2023

Ur, 1994, Lubliniec

Katowice-based painter and illustrator. He manifested a passion for various forms of art from an early age, so the direction of easel painting was an obvious choice in his life. He received his Master of Arts degree in 2019, from Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa.
From the beginning of his artistic path, there is a clear interest in the human face and emotions. The combination of large format, expressive structure and contrasting colors serves to highlight the specifics of the face, its emotions, as well as what the human face reflects - the soul. In addition to portraits, the artist is often inspired by architecture and historical events. In contrast to the large, expressive portrait forms, intricate, openwork architectural drawings are created using thin pencils. The artist later creates collages from them, as well as spatial forms by pasting them directly onto canvases and bringing them to life with color. His latest series of paintings, "Reinterpretations," is the result of his fascination with the paintings of masters such as Jan Matejko, Józef Brandt and Józef Chełmoński. The artist pours onto the canvas impressions, first impressions and emotions accompanying communication with the works of these artists. These are often very dynamic, overflowing scenes of battles and wars, to which the artist gives a completely new tone by simplifying the form, playing with colors and giving structure to the