Jaroslaw Kukowski "Praying mantis" oil on board, 122x100cm Painting

A contemporary Polish widely-known painter. Kukowskis works are described as examples of surrealism or photosurrealism. He uses techniques of drawing and oil painting. His characteristic painting effect is "trompe l'oeil" an illusion of three-dimensionality experienced by viewers. The artist is famous for his untypical process of documenting his painting activities by recording them in the form of animation.Kukowski explores moral and social themes relating to death and elapsing time in his works. They are also a detailed study of human nature and their objective is to move the spectator deeply.Critics divide Jarosaw Kukowskis artistic work into three phases: his early artistic works are marked by elaborate dramatic symbolism. Human figures are subject to deformation, whereas landscapes become surrealistic. It is a series called non-dreams. Another series entitled frescos is distinguished by a sense of time elapsing and dramatism in the form of frescos under which there are slightly revealed some other pictures. In the most recent paintings described as undreams the artist returned to surrealism, irony and provocation.Joanna KalinowskaIconography referring to the present time and oscillating between hyper- and surrealism is the shortest definition of Jarosaw Kukowskis painting. It takes more than a few words to describe his artistic work. In order to do that, I will use the most characteristic (in my opinion) of his works. Above all, there is a hidden Staczyk in Kukowski though he is more often mocking reality instead of pondering on it. I have mentioned iconography, because content is a significant feature of Kukowskis painting. It is frequently indiscernible, because the recipient focuses on mechanical perfection of a given work, as well as its theme. A fine example of it is shown by Mermaids painted by the artist in a poster-like manner. Female attributes of Mermaids remind us of photos from Playboy playmates and hardly anyone sees a joke in it. Kukowski deliberately aims at collision with kitsch. It seems to me, however, that serious treatment of technique makes humorous reference to the fable about Mermaid imperceptible. Besides, imitating kitsch is not at all easy, because kitsch arises spontaneously and needs to be untouched, I think, by mechanical perfection.In Jaroslaws works, one the frequent elements is a degenerated, sometimes only modified, bodily form.