Konrad Żukowski / Heartwood

Razem Pamoja Foundation and The Breeder Athens are pleased to present “Heartwood” that presents his new sculptures and paintings, as well as a video – a film impression that the artist created by Gabi Rosenzweig. All works were made during the Żukowski’s four months residency in Athens.

Żukowski’s imagination is filtered through a kaleidoscope of references – from Belarusian- born sculptor Ossip Zadkine, the music of Gustav Mahler, alchemy to mythologies and Surrealism. The exhibition develops as a psychogeography revolving around three main points: Witebsk and Smolensk as a family sides of Ossip Zadkine and Eastern avant-garde. Warsaw as an important station of the avant-garde movement between East and West. Athens as a point of reference for the Surrealist movement’s interest in ancient Greek mythology. Surprisingly, for Żukowski these three points are knotted by a chestnut tree and it’s wood. Touched by Zadkine’s wooden sculptures from the 1920’s and 30’s, the artist revisits here childhood memories from his Polish village, situated not far from Witebsk.

Konrad Żukowski (b. 1995) lives and works in Krakow, Poland. He obtained a diploma in Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. Recent solo exhibitions include DecadentBbanality: In Search of Extravaganza [with Jan Wolski], MOS, Gorzów Wielkopolski (2021), “Go all the way” [with Wiktoria Walendzik], Gdańsk (2021), Global Abomination [with Mateusz Sarzyński], BWA, Warsaw (2020). His work has been included in numerous group exhibitions including “The Discomfort of Evening”, National Gallery Zachęta, Warsaw (2022), “Back to School”, Razem Pamoja Foundation- Mikolaj Rej high school, Warsaw (2022), “Nobody Wants a Good Life”, Razem Pamoja Foundation, Krakow (2021), “In these days of tumult, heat, and dazzle I retreat in my mind”, Stefan Gierowski Foundation, Warsaw (2021), “Don’t panic, kiss me”, BWA, Wroclaw (2021), “APH” Exhibition, MoMA, Warsaw (2019) amongst others.