Collection

While the scene of reconciliation references figural compositions from historical paintings in layout, the gravity of the known iconographic theme becomes almost comical in Rafał Dominik’s piece. The static figures of Poles uniting seem both monumental and clumsy, like a primitive, naïve statue. Frozen in handshake, the semi-naked Poles resemble people of the Stone Age, although their hairstyles (the women’s in particular) are most definitely modern. One might well suspect that despite best efforts, the process of Poles uniting has been in progress for centuries, and yet has stalled. Perhaps it will never be successful.

Painter, draughtsman, creator of animations, sculptures, and 3D digital objects. He graduated from the Faculty of Painting in Prof. Leon Tarasewicz’s studio at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. He is the founder and vocalist of the disco polo group Galactics, and a member of the now-defunct Czosnek (Garlic) project collective. He was co-curator of the Art in Our Age exhibition organised by the ING Polish Art Foundation. Inspired by contemporary visual and material culture, such as sports shoes and electronic appliances recognised as status and lifestyle symbols, his style evokes the aesthetic of a comic book or computer game. The protagonists of his works are frequently humorous but never ironic. He lives and works in Warsaw.