The mystical world of Adelajda Kot
Jagienka Parteka
This time, at the upcoming Young Polish Artists, we would like to present you with some fascinating works and the personalities behind them. One of these people is Adelajda Kot, an artist who is attracting more and more attention through her profound exploration of the mystical world, studies of fauna and flora, and curiosity about the world around us.
Adelajda Kot studied mathematics at the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics, and Mechanics of the University of Warsaw from 2003 to 2006. Although mathematics did not turn out to be her calling, her studies and dedication to the field influenced the inspirations and themes in her painting. Artistic work has accompanied Adelajda since childhood: she participated in numerous art classes, including weaving, painting, and sculpture. Since 2020, painting has become both a passion and a profession for her, as she actively engages in the art community, showcasing more of her works and continuously developing her painting skills.
Jagienka Parteka: What do you want to express through your paintings?
Adelajda Kot: Through my paintings, I try to convey both the feeling of visual beauty and mystery. I aim to create intriguing themes. I like it when my paintings are fairy-tale-like but contain a sharp note of irrationality. I always strive for my work to be ambiguous, leaving room for free interpretation by the viewer.
JP: What is your creative process like?
AK: It's simple – I come up with the theme for the painting and then just paint it on the canvas. I always have more ideas for paintings than time to paint them. For those I don't get to paint, I try to write them down in a notebook so I don't forget them. I paint directly on canvas, without sketching. In terms of time, it takes me anywhere from one to three weeks to complete a painting, depending on its size.
JP: What inspires you the most?
AK: I draw inspiration from the nature around me, but selectively. I have favorite species of animals and plants that recur in my paintings. I find long-beaked birds, frogs, and monkeys, especially spider monkeys (Atelinae) from South and Central America, particularly charming. I'm drawn to species with long morphological elements, like long stems, paws, tails, or beaks. Painting them involves creating long lines, and I love long lines. Additionally, such lines make it easier to create interesting compositions, and composition is very important to me. It's always carefully planned, with nothing random. I'm also inspired by mathematics, its graphic symbols, and letters. I'm a synesthete, so I see letters and numbers in different colors. That's why I often paint text, usually in Latin, and small numbers in my works. Interestingly, math is closely tied to nature, as evidenced by the Fibonacci Sequence. Fairy tales and poetry also inspire me. For example, I love illustrating works like Aleksander Fredro's "The Monkey in the Bath" and Hans Christian Andersen's "Thumbelina." I've painted several illustrations for these stories and plan to reference them in future works
JP: Is there anything you can't paint without?
AK: There's nothing I can't paint without, as long as I have good paints and brushes. Good brushes are essential for me. I love listening to music, podcasts, or radio broadcasts while painting. Once the composition is planned, I don't need to focus too much on what I'm painting and can think about other things without it affecting the quality of my work. I find it a fascinating psychological phenomenon that most of my paintings are created semi-consciously. Whenever I sit at the easel, I always have a huge cup of coffee and some chocolates.
JP: Is painting the only art form you express yourself through?
AK: Yes, because I'm trying to perfect it as much as possible, so I focus solely on it. I believe that to be good at something, you need to focus entirely and uncompromisingly on it. As Napoleon Bonaparte said, "Patience, persistence, and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success."
JP: When did art become your calling?
AK: Painting has always been my passion and a constant in my life. However, I only decided to pursue it professionally in 2020 when the global coronavirus pandemic broke out – not so long ago. Because of the pandemic, I couldn't continue working with horses. That's when I took the risk to see if I could make a living from painting. It turned out I could, which made me very happy since I hadn't believed I could succeed despite good auction results. Before 2020, I sold paintings and drawings out of curiosity, for fun, and to improve my financial situation, but it was never my main source of income. But as Canadian hockey player Wayne Gretzky said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." So it's always worth trying!
JP: What are your biggest artistic dreams?
AK: My biggest artistic dream is to be able to create continuously, and as I mentioned, that dream has already come true. My greatest achievement is reaching a level where I no longer have to balance painting with non-artistic work. When work becomes a passion, you feel like you're not working at all. I believe that success shouldn't be measured by fame or money. If you love your work and enjoy spending time on it, that's the true measure of success. And that's what I value most in life – passions that define us.
JP: Are there any artists whose work particularly interests or inspires you?
AK:My favorite painter is John James Audubon, and I consider the "American Flamingo" by this painter, ornithologist, and naturalist to be the greatest painting in the world. I think this painting is a masterpiece. I share his love for birds. I also admire many other painters, including those whose work is quite different from mine. These include Frida Kahlo, René Magritte, Henri Rousseau, Edward Okuń, Jessie Arms Botke, Edvard Munch, Jerzy Ryszard Zieliński, and many more.
You can view the artist's latest work, "The Liszka and the Liszkaeater," at our gallery at Piękna 1A in Warsaw. We invite you to participate in the auction, especially in the live bidding on Tuesday, August 27th, at 7 p.m.
