Natalia Wiernik: Dobrostan (FotoFest 2016 Biennial at Anya Tish Gallery)

Anya Tish Gallery is delighted to present Dobrostan, a solo exhibition of new and recent photographs by multi-media, Poland-based artist Natalia Wiernik.

In the Polish language, the word “Dobrostan” means “to be in a state of well being”, or “comfort”. This exhibition is in conjunction with the 2016 FotoFest Biennial, and will mark Wiernik’s inaugural solo exhibition in the United States. Opening Reception: Friday, March 18, 6:00 – 8:30 pm. The Artist will be present. On view: March 18 – April 16, 2016.

A leader among a new generation of innovative European artists and recognized internationally for the lush optical cacophonies she orchestrates, Wiernik combines her experiences as a painter, photographer, and graphic artist to weave together portraits of offbeat modern “families”.

Hinged on the notion that emotional connections are often formed through shared values and experiences, the subjects of each photograph are linked together through a visual-kinship of shared oddities and eccentricities rather than genealogical ties.

The extravagant pattern and texture, both abundant and deliberate, simultaneously construct homogenous settings, suggesting the foreground and background have become continuations of each other, and render each subject distinctly visible within it’s kindred environment.

Familiar yet eccentric, the baroque atmosphere of Wiernik’s works invite a nostalgic projection of personal narratives, causing the viewer to internalize each photograph’s framework while exalting one’s own memories into surreal mythology.

Natalia ­Wiernik was recently invited to Paris to collaborate with Le Figaro Magazine, and selected photographs from that project will be on view in this exhibition.

Wiernik has won numerous awards for her work, including the Sony World Photography Award; the PDN Photo Annual Award, New York City, New York; the International Photo Awards, Los Angeles, California; and the Paris Photography Prize. In 2011, the artist was chosen to represent Poland in the Künstlerhaus International Photography Contest in Munich, Germany. Wiernik is a recipient of national grants from Poland’s Ministry of Culture as well as the Ministry of Science & Higher Education, and is currently pursuing a PhD from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, Poland.