After taking the contemporary artwork by storm, Cheshire born and bred figurative artist Emma Grzonkowski returns back to the North-West with a striking new portrait collection.
Inspired by films such as Sin City and themes of heartbreak and love, young artist Emma Grzonkowski will be showcasing her vibrant body of work at Castle Galleries in the Trafford Centre on Saturday 22nd August.
This will be her first solo show in the north-west since launching her career in Chester six years ago in 2009.
The public are invited to come and meet Grzonkowski on the day from 12-3pm to hear first-hand about her colourful paintings. The works on display will also include hand-signed limited edition prints and stand-out pieces from previous exhibitions.
Always an artist at heart, Grzonkowski has had a passion for all things creative from a very early age. After formal tuition at school and at Sir John Deane’s college in Northwich, she attended the University of Chester, pursuing a Fine Art and Graphic Design degree. This eventually led her to hone a signature style of combining technical portraiture and abstract splashes of vibrant colour; a unique fusion for which she has now become renowned.
It was during her final year at University in 2009 that a young Grzonkowski was discovered by Glyn Washington, founder and director of Washington Green Fine Art Publishers, which owns the Castle Galleries network throughout the UK. He signed her on the spot.
Speaking of her time at university, Grzonkowski said: “When I first met Glyn, my work was very dark, both in colour and context. I had just lost my boyfriend in a fatal car accident, and I was going through an extremely difficult time in my life.
“However, it was almost a tragic blessing in some kind of way, because it was during this point of sadness when my style really began to take shape. I was pulling all the emotion from within myself and transferring it on to the canvas, using my own image as a release; it was a kind of therapy almost. Painting was something that couldn’t be cruelly snatched away from me.”
Now 28, Grzonkowski has built up an extensive portfolio of captivating, large scale works. Starting first with pencil sketches, she builds up each layer using oils and acrylics before adding a personal stamp of abstract overlays of bright colour – such as striking magentas and bold crimsons – and then finally hand embellishes each piece with household paints.
As Grzonkowski’s most emotionally charged collection to date, it draws on all of her experiences from the past, as well hopes for the future.
Grzonkowski says: “My latest collection is a representation of all the deep emotion I have felt during my life and how art has helped me process and overcome pain and difficulty. It’s a bit surreal to consider how much my style has evolved since my first show. There’s always a deeper meaning behind my paintings, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to explain it all and bring it to life in person during the launch at the gallery.”
YSam Rix, Castle Galleries, Trafford Centre’s Gallery Manager feels the pieces make up a visually stunning group of artwork: “We are delighted to welcome Emma to the gallery to present her new collection. Each piece is so diverse; her choice of colour and freedom of brush strokes are brave, and the flicks and smears of bold coloured paint bring such dynamism to the collection.
“It will be exciting to see the viewer really engage with the intensity and the emotions conveyed through the paintings, and we have no doubt that they will be snapped up very quickly.”
Emma Grzonkowski will be presenting her new collection at Castle Galleries in The Trafford Centre onSaturday 22nd August between 12-3pm, with the collection on display for two weeks thereafter until Sunday 5th September.
