Magdalena KUREK (b. 1979), *To the Meeting*, 2026

oil on canvas, 70 x 100 cm, signed lower right: M. Kurek

Born in 1979. Graduate of the Art High School in Katowice and the Academy of Fine
in Wrocław; graduated in 2005 with a degree in painting inspired by
by archaeological excavations in France; completed a minor in
and multimedia, as well as a postgraduate program in stage design at the Academy of Fine Arts in
Kraków. She received her diploma under the supervision of Prof. A. Witkowski and Prof. M. Komorowska in
2012. Solo exhibitions at the Contemporary Theater, the
Polish Theater in Wrocław, and the Rozrywka Theater in Chorzów. Participation in numerous
group exhibitions featuring painting, graphic art, and set design. Her works are
in collections in Poland and abroad. She has collaborated as a set designer
with Anna Augustynowicz, Krzysztof Nazar, and Marek Braun.
She was twice awarded a scholarship by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage in
2008 and 2012.
She has been collaborating with galleries and auction houses for over 14 years. In
her oil paintings, light is the most important element; it builds,
dynamizes, and contrasts the composition, setting the mood and capturing the fleeting nature of the moment.
Her inspiration comes from theater, architecture, distant civilizations, and travel.
For me, every painting is a journey guided by imagination, with
my heart and emotions serve as my compass—they determine the warm or cool tones,
the contrasts, and whether the colors are rich, intense, or monochromatic. I value
experimenting with texture and collage. I want to evoke reflection
and a multitude of interpretations: “I create paintings with an open composition so
that the painting unfolds in the viewer’s mind—in their imagination.”
ASSISTANT SET DESIGNER—2006—collaboration on the premiere of
“The Desert” at the Polish Theater in Wrocław, 2008/2009; “Baal,” dir. Anna
Augustynowicz, Współczesny Theater in Wrocław; “Three Sisters,” dir.
Monika Pęcikiewicz, Polski Theater, Warsaw
2011—“La Traviata,” Kraków Opera, directed by Krzysztof Nazar; featured in
the “La Traviata” program—as assistant to set designer Marek Braun.