On Wednesday, 28 November, the opening of the exhibition “In the Circle of Silence...” took place at the Gallery of Talented Artists at the Youth Cultural Centre. The exhibition presents several dozen watercolours by Paweł Śliwko, an outstanding teacher and journalist. The fact that the long-time editor-in-chief of “Głos Bolesławca” needs no introduction to the residents of Bolesławiec was clearly demonstrated by the number of people attending the opening. Among them were relatives, friends, co-workers and former students of the artist – including Deputy Chair of the District Council Jarosław Molenda.
“In the Circle of Silence...” is, in a sense, a jubilee exhibition. Exactly half a century ago, the painter took part in his first plein-air gathering of visual artists. As a student, he was fascinated by Tachisme and Cubism. For some time now, however, he has been a decided supporter of realism in art. “Watercolour is a technique that suits me better at this point – in terms of the possibilities of expressing my own personality and showing the beauty of the external world,” Paweł Śliwko told the Boleslawiec.org portal. – “Every painter goes through this phase; they have to explore the most diverse artistic directions. Without this, it is later impossible to fully express what a person is capable of, or what fascinates and inspires them.”
The works on display were painted this year. They are artistic impressions from journeys through various parts of Europe. The first sketches for the works presented in Bolesławiec were also created there. At the Gallery of Talented Artists, visitors can see landscapes filtered through the painter’s artistic sensibility: the Caucasus Mountains, the former Yugoslavia, Hungary and Saxon Switzerland. “Europe has stayed with me as something incredibly beautiful, something that can be painted again and again and again,” Paweł Śliwko noted. And indeed, the watercolours radiate the artist’s admiration for the beauty of nature, admiration for the work of the Demiurge. As Jarosław Molenda admitted, warmth emanates from these paintings; they reveal the personality of their creator, an exceptionally warm and open person.
The exhibition can be visited for the next two weeks. The opening was enhanced by performances from young people attending the music studio operating at the Bolesławiec MDK.
(GA information)