CONNECTING
DISTINCT
WORLDS
JOANNA KOZIEJ
Joanna Koziej AKA “Malarka” creates intricate, surreal, yet soulful images on ceramic tiles. She explores personal stories, symbols and phenomena to reveal universal motives, to deconstruct patterns and to distinguish singularities. With calligraphic brushstrokes in elaborate compositions, she captures the gist of complex narratives and embodies fleeting emotions.
IMPULSE
Joanna's creative process resembles journeying – setting off with a destination planned, following intuition for discoveries. The artist explores the deeply symbolic and sensual side of the surrounding nature. Drawing from the colors, the rhythms, the connection as well as the struggle, allows her to render engaging visual stories.
PAINTING SERIES & EXHIBITIONS
POETIC
VANDALISM
Whenever she travels, she creates a tiny ephemeral art exhibition, pasting up dedicated paintings in public space.
Enamel paint on ceramic tile, 20 x 20 cm, 2019-2021
◄ paste up in Hradec Kralowe [Czechia]
▲ Bologna [Italy]
► Berlin [Germany]
▼ Lyon [France]
ROOTS
The roots of the Malarka concept, especially the series pasted up on walls as street art, owe a lot to the Polish School of Posters, sharing the impulse to enter the public mind and space with metaphoric imagery. On the other hand the artist's practice is focused on a more subtle, contemplative approach to art. By choosing enameled ceramic tile, with its duality of resistance and fragility, as her canvas, Malarka works to bridge these two worlds.
"M"
STANDS FOR MALARKA
“Malarka” (“paintress” or "woman who paints" in Polish) is an alias and the name of a project started in 2015, following a dream of painting, designing and roaming free around the world.
As of the beginning of 2022 Joanna decided to implement this idea fully and move her home and art studio into a 90s van. Even though her working space became smaller, this minor discomfort is compensated by the endless inspiration coming from travel.
FIND MY ART AROUND THE WORLD
JOANNA KOZIEJ
Visual artist from Warsaw, Poland, born 1986.
MA at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Poland.
Scholarship at Ecole Nationale Supérieure Des Arts
Décoratifs in Paris, France
2006 – 2012 Master of Arts degree – top grade with honours at Graphics Faculty, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Poland
2010 Artist residency, BizArt Space, Shanghai, China
2010 Scholarship for poster workshops, International Graphics Festival, Echirolles, France
2009/2010 Scholarship in Paris, France, Printed Image Faculty, Ecole Nationale Supérieure Des Arts Décoratifs
2009 Scholarship for Interactive site-specific installations, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2024 – „A PROFECÍA” group exhibition, Her Clique gallery, Lisbon, Portugal
2021 – “𝕿𝖊𝖒𝖕𝖚𝖘 𝕱𝖚𝖌𝖎𝖙 – Malarka” solo painting exhibition, Sen Nocy Letniej, Warsaw, Poland
2019 – ‘マラルカ / Malarka’ solo painting exhibition – Art For Thought, Tokyo Ginza, Japan
2018 – “Malarka na Jazdowie/Paintress at Jazdów” solo painting exhibition, RDK – Rotational Culture Centre, Warsaw, Poland
2017 – “different takes” solo painting exhibition,Town Hall Art Gallery, Municipal Center of Culture, Legionowo, Poland
2015 – 2017 “Malarka” ceramic tile display, i.a. Lisbon, Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, London, Warsaw
2016 – Solo graphics & painting exhibition, Hugonówka, Konstancin, Poland
2014 – ‘Colorically’ Painting Exhibition, New York Gallery, Curator: Sylwia Mańko
2014 – ‘Bravo Lovely’ Painting exhibition, Radna 6/8 Gallery, Warsaw
2014 – ‘Make it on the square vol. 4’, Graffiti Jam, Warsaw
2014 – ‘Movements’ & ‘the Family’, Solo painting exhibition, Basilia, Warsaw
2014 – ‘bARTer, images for exchange’ project, Blok Żab. atelier, Warsaw
2013 – Poster exhibition, ‘Night of the Museums in the Block’, Blok Żab. atelier, Warsaw
2012 – Poster exhibition ‘Performeria Warszawy’, Squat Przychodnia, Warsaw
2012 – Poster exhibition, 23rd International Poster Biennale in Warsaw
2012 – Poster exhibition ‘Turboposter’, Między Nami, Warsaw
2011 – Exhibition, Night of the Museums, GPW, Warsaw
2011 – Exhibition ‘Drawings from Graphics’ Klatka Gallery, Warsaw
2011 – Poster exhibition, Przy Automacie Gallery, Warszawa
2010 – Installation, exhibition in BizArt Gallery, Shanghai
2010 – Poster exhibition, 4th International Student Poster Biennale in Nowy Sad
2010 – Poster exhibition, International Graphics Festival, Echirolles
2010 – finals, european poster competition ‘The river and the city’, Vitry-sur-Seine, France
2009 – „We are for sale” happening, Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw
2009 – Interactive installations, Ljubljana, Slovenia
2008 – Nagroda Rektora ASP w Warszawie, Konkurs Grafika Warszawska, galeria TEST
2008 – Painting exhibition, Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, Warsaw
2021 – „She creates paintings on ceramic tiles. See the Mermaid accoring to Joanna Koziej” – Article in MADWhite magazine [PL]
2020 – “Project: Malarka. Joanna Koziej and her unique street art.” interview in Uroda Życia magazine / DECEMBER 2020 NR 10 (72) [PL]
2018 – „Graffiti of the 21st century. Joanna Koziej on how she marks the world” – Interview in the Polish Radio [PL]
2016 – overview of graphics and paintings, ‘eleWator’ printed quarterly magazine about literature and culture. [PL]
WANT MORE?
Whether you’re curious about MALARKA’s creative process, commissioned work, or collaboration: