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Kamila Sipika’s (1997) practice is rooted in nature. Her paintings examine the relationship between the plant world and the art of painting – how one inspires the other. For this she draws from art history as well as the various cultural meanings ascribed to flowers. Her sources of inspiration are wide-ranging: from the Polish folk traditions of her grandparents to archival material from the Amsterdam City Archives, as well as excursions to community gardens, flower auctions, and markets. Raised in Poland, with Brazilian roots, and now living in the Netherlands, she also explores to what extend this mix of cultures finds its way into her work.
Experimenting with homemade pigments extracted from the samples she collects, plants are also part of Sipika’s painting technique in a literal sense. The diptych displayed at Prospects, for instance contains pigments from oak leaves. This work is part of Hidden in Daylight (2024), a series of paintings in which sumptuous flowers emerge from ominous dark backgrounds like beacons of light. The obscurity refers to the darkness in this day and age, as well as the darkness in ourselves that we all have to deal with individually. On the other hand, the strong contrasts and serene light reflect hope. The flowers furthermore represent properties that might act as an antidote to the darkness, with irises symbolizing hope and bluebells symbolizing gratitude in these works. All things are transient in the natural cycle, but even in that a small source of light, a little hope, can always be found.
Text: Esmee Postma
Translated from Dutch by Marie Louise Schoondergang (The Art of Translation)