If you look into the eyes of your companion, they say you can see deeply into their soul… seeing their every hope and fear. Your eyes tell all. Look into the beautiful eyes of Polish artist Paulina Góra’s child-like portraits and it will feel as if you are looking at flesh and blood. The large, soulful eyes of these surreal figures pull you in, taking you to their little wonderland. It is hard to look away. You may even feel that you do not want to break your gaze. They capture you, envelope you, hypnotize you, imploring you to stay. Choose to follow them into their dreamy abyss, and risk losing yourself swirling in their eyes, or look away and feel them watching, calling to you? Either or, the children of this ethereal world will have forever left their imprint on your being.
Paulina’s cooler-toned oil paintings are experiences you will not soon forget. Dresses accented with frills and lace, wonderful treats, teddy bears galore smoothly painted to the surface; an invitation to imagination that is impossible to ever finish exploring. They prompt you look back onto your childhood days, basking in your memories of tea parties, tree climbing, and carefree play. All of the figures have similar facial expressions. They seem neither happy nor sad. Children with long, delicate limbs, especially accentuated in the fingers, seem to beckon to you to cherish those days that seem so long ago. Do not lose that childhood wonder. During a conversation with the artist, she credits the art of surrealists as influences in her own paintings.
While revisiting her own memories, Paulina invites all who look into the eyes of her works to come along for the journey. So, pack your picnic basket and put on your best attire because you have a day filled with play and make-believe ahead. Check out Paulina’s latest solo exhibit, Into the Eyes, in Lublin, Poland at Galeria Art opening June 4th.
“[I am influenced by] Hieronymus Bosch, his amazing and mysterious paintings. I also adore Goya and works of surrealists – Dali and Magritte.” ∼ Paulina Góra
A common theme in your work is child-like subjects with very large, sorrowful eyes. Can you tell us about that, what your inspirations are, what you are trying to convey to viewers, or work out for yourself?
Yes, eyes are maybe not the most important but the most characteristic element of my paintings. I have always paid attention to people’s eyes and hands, as they are very important to me. They show the truth… have you ever noticed how hard looking into someone’s eyes can be?
I am always interested about the behind-the-scenes of artworks, as it can be unique from artist to artist. Would you care to share your process?
An idea, an impulse, is usually the first thing that starts my creative process. It comes naturally when something inspires me – an experience, a memory, some music. What happens next is a stage of sketching, designing the painting. Often there are several designs, yet sometimes there is none. At times, I just sit down in front of a canvas and a painting is created completely spontaneously.
When showing your work, what do you hope viewers take away from the experience?
My works are very personal, they say a lot about my observations, dreams and memories – carefree childhood times and innocence; they are a nostalgic return to those wonderful moments. I would want viewers of my work to go back through memories to the times of their childhoods, when time didn’t matter and everything seemed much easier.
