CONRAD DE KWIATKOSKI

#LookingGlass

Explore the mesmerizing art of Conrad de Kwiatkowski in this special exhibition curated by Nemo Librizzi

A student of anthropology, de Kwiatkowski is interested on the influence of the past and ancient cultures on the present. The continuum through time of central tenets of human existence are given voice through his heavily hand-worked pieces.

“I have a strong respect for things that are spiritual, hand-made and primordial objects and structures in particular reflect this hand-made ethos and speak to me through time,” he says. “It is the essence of the human touch that makes the work human as well as timeless.” Ancient objects feel imbued with meaning because of their connection to a past and that creates a sensorial nostalgia. His sculptures in particular relate to this thought of expressing an organic and timeless ethos echoing through millennia. “Essentially everything I make is intended to be a talisman of good intentions. A visual mantra of purity and rebirth. A search for a golden age, my work is a constant affirmation, guide and conversation with my heart.”

“Humankind for over 75,000 years, has projected transcendental energy onto stone. Although we still share many of these sentiments with our ancestors, we more often try and see objects for what they are. In regard to these stones, the best way to reconcile this paradox, in my opinion, is to project your own metaphorical context into the stone, as I do.

For example, a personal projection I yield to, especially when sanding them, is that of a junction point between the outer and inner world. I entertain the perception of these stones as an axis point between internal and external infinities: without effort, for the medium/process easily lends itself to that effect.

Also this interaction begets itself, so the more I project depth into the stone, the more in existence it comes to be.”

- Conrad de Kwiatkowski