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Malgorzata Zurakowska
- born in Krakow, Poland
- immigrated to Ottawa, Ontario in 1988
click on thumbnail at left to view a larger image
About the influence of her Polish education on her art,
printmaker Malgorzata Zurakowska has written that it "shaped my sensitivity [but] the
relation is not very direct . . . as I strive to ask metaphysical questions which are
universally valid. Esoteric symbolic language which I use belongs to pan-European
tradition. What is specifically of Polish origin is craftsmanship" (1998). Her
work is generally small in scale, and her concern with themes of suffering may explain her
attraction to the mezzotint process, a type of printing described by Nancy Baele as being
principally about a quality of blankness, "deep velvety blacks and the play of light
on them" (1994). Another series entitled Passion expands on the theme of the
suffering of Christ, going beyond this religious meaning of the word which Zurakowska
finds limiting (1998). As she explains: "The 'Passions' have suffered in philosophy
from their unflattering juxtaposition of reason, attempts to deny what is uniquely human.
A human being in the existential quest has free will in dealing with pain, either to deny
its existence or to accept it, and thus transcend the suffering. The 'Passion' cycle . . .
attempts to bring up specifically spiritual means of expression to transmit numinous
wonder of transfigured suffering" (1998). In a series of prints called The
Apocalypse Cycle, Zurakowska draws upon the Book of Revelations to explore devastating
occurrences such as the Gulf War and the Holocaust. In addition to her printmaking,
Zurakowska has been instrumental in curating exhibitions such as Inside Out (1991)
an exhibition held in Krakow which included the work of four Canadian print makers from
Edmonton, and Illuminations (1997), an exhibition featuring the prints of Polish
printmakers. Through these types of exhibitions, Zurakowska has fostered artistic and
cultural exchanges between Poland and Canada.
Please note: Due to the dark quality of Zurakowska's
images, reproductions suitable for the web were limited. |
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1998 |
Art Gallery, Pacific Lutheran
University, Tacoma, Washington |
1996 |
Atrium Municipal Gallery,
Nepean/Ottawa, Ontario |
1995 |
Museum Collegium Maius,
Jagielonian University, Cracow, Poland Palac Opatow
National Museum, Oliwa, Poland
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1994 |
Galerie d'art Jean Claude
Bergeron, Ottawa, Ontario James Baird Gallery, St.
John's, Newfoundland
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1993 |
Open Studio, Toronto, Ontario Malaspina Gallery, Vancouver, British Columbia
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1992 |
FAB Gallery, University of
Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta |
1991 |
Listasafn ASI, Reykjavik,
Iceland Forum Gallery, Windsor, Ontario
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1990 |
MG Gallery, Lublin, Poland |
1989 |
Gallery BWA, Lodz, Poland |
1988 |
Gallery Detour, Namur, Belgium Klaines Augusteum, Oldenburg, Germany
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1987 |
Gallery "La Plume" La
Chaux-de-Fonds, Geneva, Switzerland Latitudes 53
Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta
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1986 |
Municipal Gallery, Fredrikstad,
Norway |
1985 |
Oldenburger Kunstverein,
Oldenburg, Germany |
1983 |
Gallery "ZABO",
Nuremberg, Germany |
1980 |
Gallery "Petits
Formats", Paris, France Gallery Scharzich,
Berlin, Germany
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GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1997-95 |
Bradley Print & Drawing
Biennial
Peoria, Illinois |
1995 |
Print Triennial
Tokyo, Japan |
1995-81 |
Print Biennial
Fredrikstad, NorwayPrint Biennial
Ljubljana, Slovenia
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1993-87 |
Premio Biella
Italy |
1991 |
Print Triennial
Osaka, Japan |
1991-87 |
Biennial
Taipei, Taiwan |
1987-84 |
Biennial/Triennial of
Graphic Art
Cracow, Poland |
1985 |
Print & Drawing
Biennial
Rockford, IllinoisPrint Biennial
Miami, Florida
|
1984 |
Ibizagrafic
Ibiza, Spain |
1983 |
European Print Biennial
Baden, Germany |
COLLECTIONS
Art Gallery of Edmonton, Edmonton, Alberta
Art Museum, Essen, Germany
Artoteque, Bremen, Germany
Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris, France
Canada Council Art Bank, Ottawa, Ontario
Epper Museum, Ascona, Switzerland
Musée d'art et d'histoire, Geneva, Switzerland
Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje, Macedonia
National Museum, Cracow, Poznan, Szczecin, Gdansk, Poland
Trondelag Kunstgalleri, Trondheim, Norway
Vatican Collection |
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Baele, Nancy. "In touch with the
medium: Nepean printmaker's art takes time." Ottawa Citizen, 27 February
1994, n.p. Balau, Raymond-Marie. Article. Revue
d'art (April 1985): n.p.
Gravure polonaise contemporaine. La
Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland: Editions d'En Haut, 1987.
Gray, Kathe. Face. Toronto, Ontario: Open
Studio, 1996.
Kosinski, Marytka. Review. Extensions, A Quarterly
Journal Published by the Print & Drawing Council of Canada (Spring 1992): n.p.
Lorent, Claude. "Detour pour Zurakowska." Art
et culture (December 1988): n.p.
---. "Regards sur les arts plastiques." Vers
l'Avenir (30 March 1985): n.p.
Mespouille, José. "Graveurs d'ailleurs." Vers
l'Avenir (25 March 1985): n.p.
---. "Malgorzata Zurakowska où la symphonie en noir
velour." Vers l'Avenir (10 December 1988): n.p.
Wax, Carol. The Mezzotint: History and Technique.
New York, New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1990.
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