Malwina Chabocka

When I paint, I steer away from directness, and when I talk about painting, I steer away from explanation. For me, painting is an act of putting paint onto canvas through instinct, intention and accident; the rest belongs to the viewer. My only goal is to make you feel.

As an artist, I am fascina...

When I paint, I steer away from directness, and when I talk about painting, I steer away from explanation. For me, painting is an act of putting paint onto canvas through instinct, intention and accident; the rest belongs to the viewer. My only goal is to make you feel.

As an artist, I am fascinated by the meanders of the human psyche, especially its darkest corners. What interests me is what we don’t express and admit, not just to others but to ourselves. Hidden desires and repressed feelings, haunting memories and inner conflicts; the pain and longing. I am interested in otherness and difference, manifested through passions and needs which escape socially accepted norms and fight for their reason to exist. I am drawn to the intersection of the rational mind with the most primary instincts, which we are so unsuccessfully trying to curb.

I paint mostly in acrylics and occasionally use oils in certain areas of a painting. After years of working in oil, I moved to acrylics because I find that with their fast drying time and certain rigidity in application (as opposed to the smooth flow of oils), acrylics are much better suited to my needs as a painter. They require faster decision making, taking risks and embracing accidents. I value chance and subconsciousness as important factors in creating a work of art because “the moment you know what to do, you’re making just another form of illustration”. My painting process is an overlap between accident and control, and a lot of the time I aim to disrupt what I can do with ease. I work from sketches and photographs, which serve both as points of reference and triggers of ideas.

I believe that truly meaningful art grows from life experiences, relationships, hardships, and engaging with the world, as opposed to shielding oneself from discomfort and pain. I’ve no interest in either making or viewing flashy, superficial and gimmicky art. I follow no trends or fashions. Just my own instinct.