Izabela SZEWCZYK-MARTIN (b. 1975), *The Light of Rain*, 2025

acrylic on canvas, 70 x 70 cm, signed lower left: I.S.

Born in 1975. She graduated from the State High School of Fine Arts in Kraków, majoring in exhibition design. She is a graduate of the Pedagogical University of Kraków, where she majored in Art Education with a focus on the visual arts. She earned her bachelor’s degree in painting in the studio of Prof. Piotr Jargusz, while she completed her master’s thesis in the Graphic Design studio under the supervision of Prof. Adam Panasiewicz.

Her fascination with the work of Krzysztof Kieślowski led to the creation of her thesis project, “DODEKALOG”—a series of twelve posters inspired by the director’s early feature films. In 2008, the project was presented at the Zamek Culture Center in Poznań during the 12th edition of the OFF CINEMA International Film Festival.

The artist primarily works in acrylic and oil painting, though she also uses watercolor and ink drawing. Her works have been featured in several solo exhibitions, including one in Kraków, and most of them are part of private collections. She draws inspiration from nature and careful observation of her immediate surroundings. The interplay of light and shadow, as well as vivid colors, plays a significant role in her work. Sharp contours and strong contrasts are characteristic of her work; however, it is light that serves as the key element in creating the mood of her paintings—often becoming an autonomous artistic concept that comes to the forefront, leaving the subject in the background.