Rafał Olszewski

Between Reality and Abstraction

Can a painting capture reality while allowing it to escape beyond the boundaries of recognisable form?

Rafał Olszewski’s work unfolds at the intersection of two seemingly distant worlds: the precision of the photographic gaze and the expressive freedom of abstraction. He observes the familiar, only to transform it through colour, composition, texture and the distinctive gestures of painting.

His work brings together portraits of pop culture icons, cars, urban landscapes and botanical motifs. Rooted in the visual language of contemporary life, these subjects are reinterpreted through the artist’s individual sensibility. A recognisable image becomes more than a representation — it may evoke a memory, a fascination, a fleeting moment or an invitation for the viewer to form their own interpretation.

Abstraction forms an equally important part of his practice. Through layered compositions, Olszewski explores colour, formal tension and the possibilities of painterly experimentation. Meaning is not prescribed. Instead, it emerges through the interplay of surfaces, traces of gesture and successive layers, leaving room for personal reflection and individual response.

Working across a diverse range of med...

Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń Poland - Faculty of Fine Arts