GAJEK (Agnieszka Kraus) – Contemporary Painter & Visual Artist
Artist Statement:
I paint so that I don't have to talk. My work explores thoughts and emotions through color, form, and texture, creating a visual language that speaks directly to the viewer. For me, painting is not just about making images—it is a way to communicate what words cannot fully express.
GAJEK (Agnieszka Kraus) is a visual artist and painter based in Berlin and Gdańsk. and painter working at the intersection of contemporary painting and immersive visual perception. Born in Chorzów, Poland, in 1982, she holds a Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Serigraphy from the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk and studied painting at Marmara University in Istanbul.
Her practice explores the tension between nature and constructed environments, addressing themes of alienation, displacement, and the psychological impact of urban space. Through painting and mixed media, she examines how perception, memory, and emotional response are shaped by artificial surroundings.
A central body of her work, the ongoing Error_ series, employs anaglyph 3D techniques and symbolic motifs to challenge conventional ways of seeing, inviting viewers to reconsider the boundaries between organic presence and artificial reality.
Gajek has exhibited internationally and represented Poland at the Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean. Her work has been recognized with national cultural awards and presented at major venues in Germany and Belgium.
Selected Exhibitions & Awards:
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"Error_", Solo Exhibition, KIT Studioartspace, Berlin, Deutchland, 2025
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42. Painting Biennial "Bielska Jesień", BWA Gallery, Bielsko-Biala, Poland, 2015
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NordArt — International Art Exhibition, Kunstwerk Carlshütte, Germany, 2014
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Error_ solo exhibition — Brussels Art Factory, Belgium, 2014
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Canvascollectie | Collection RTBF, competition, final exhibition, Centre for Fine Arts BOZAR, Belgium, 2012
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Storm of the Year 2009, nominated for the cultural award in Visual Arts category, Tricity, Poland
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City of Gdańsk Awards for Young Artists in the Field of Culture
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Award nominee for Creators of Culture in 2009 in Gdańsk
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XIV Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean — Skopje, Macedonia, 2009 & XIII BJCEM — Bari, Italy, 2008
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Minister of Culture and National Heritage Award for best master diploma in Painting in Poland (1st prize), 18th edition, Poland, 2008
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Cultural Scholarship of Marshal of Pomeranian, 2008
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Primus Inter Pares, best student in artistic field, AFA, Gdańsk, Poland, 2007-2008
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Cultural Scholarship of President of the City of Gdańsk, 2006-2008