Łukasz MADSEN (b. 1997), Pulsar, 2026

acrylic on canvas, 100 x 80 cm, signed on the back

Born in 1997. An artist of the younger generation. While studying at the Fashion Department of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, he focused his attention on fabric. His art refers to the physical reality of having a body, where raw canvas symbolizes skin. In this way, the relationship between the viewers and the artwork becomes extremely intimate, as if they were looking at the artist himself, naked. His inspiration is pain, within which he seeks to find meaning. In his work, the artist seeks to answer questions that have not yet been asked. Art allows him to reveal the beauty of the human body—the canvas—as an imperfect reflection of what lies within us.

Artist statement:
From my studies in fashion design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, I developed a passion for fabric, which is incredibly malleable. It can be painted, sculpted, twisted, molded, and cut. In my paintings, I often refer to sewing, embroidery, and the entire process of creating clothing, from designing and drawing patterns to lining and finishing.
I’m particularly drawn to references to the body and human skin, which is also a kind of clothing. It’s the first thing others see in us. The skin bears the marks of what has shaped it. It tells of traumas and pain, but also of beauty. It is soft, rough, sensitive, thin, thick, and velvety—just like fabrics such as wool, silk, or satin.
I’m interested in the body in its physical materiality. I seek out what cannot be seen with the naked eye. I eagerly explore the various tissues found within. To do so, I use medical techniques, equipment, and procedures. My paintings often resemble distorted ultrasound images, and the embroidery and stitching symbolize scars. I’m fascinated by the fact that scars lack nerve endings.
Stretching the canvas onto the frame reminds me of draping fabric over a mannequin. It’s the moment when the painting comes to life. These two things exist only together, just like skin and skeleton. Often in my paintings, the frame is not just a support structure but a full-fledged element of the composition.
My hands are my primary tools. Brushes remind me of some sort of extension of the hand or a prosthesis; I don’t know how to use them. Painting with my fingers brings me closer to the canvas, and thus closer to the subject matter of my work. So I paint the body with the body.
I feel most confident using acrylics. Soot black is a color I use frequently. I rub the paint between my hands for a very long time, until it begins to resemble a dry paste. Only then do I gain full control over my movements and gestures. The anatomy of my fingers allows me to achieve a full range of shapes, from sharp, straight lines to soft patches.
In my minimalist compositions, I walk a fine line between the right and left sides, the foreground and the background. I try to capture the moment where the visible and the hidden intertwine. It is precisely these contrasts that create a sense of completeness and a cohesive composition.
For me, the body is a subjective center of perception, an active agent through which we experience and come to know the world.