Paweł Kluza (b. 1983), Roses (4059), 2023

acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30 cm;
signed and dated lower right and on the reverse

Paweł Kluza (born September 14, 1983, in Siedlce) – a brilliant successor to the artistic vision of Nikifor and Edward Dwurnik. A painter of the most beautiful cities and a world that no longer exists. He spent his childhood in southern Poland; constant moves eventually led him to settle in the picturesque town of Żarki Letnisko, located in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland, whose surrounding landscape resembles a seaside resort. It was there that Kluza created his first drawings, which have survived to this day and date back to 1988. In the 1990s, he sought his own creative path. It was during this period that he produced his first oil paintings.

The artist dates the beginning of his artistic career to 2004. At that time, the premiere of the film *My Nikifor* took place as part of the Gdynia Film Festival. It was then that he first encountered the figure of Epifaniusz Drowniak, known as Nikifor. His fascination with the Krynica Master was so strong that he created his first pencil drawings right during the screening, and the very next day, his first watercolors inspired by the Master’s work emerged from his brush. From that moment on, Kluza devoted his entire life to painting. The following years were a period of traveling in Nikifor’s footsteps throughout the country, as well as a longer stay in Krynica-Zdrój.

It is worth noting that the artist undertook these journeys without any prior savings, supporting himself solely by selling his watercolors and drawings on the street. This unique experience also had a profound impact on his work. During this time, he created numerous small-scale paintings, colloquially known as “starters,” which served as visual records of moments or events. This series continues to this day.

The first person to discover Kluza’s talent was Janusz Glanc-Szymański, who headed the art department at Tygodnik Angora. This was in 2014, and it was then that the first mentions of the artist appeared in the press.

Currently, the artist is following the path laid out by his artistic mentors, Nikifor and Dwurnik, continuing the “Cities” series while seeking new inspiration in the world around him. In his works, Paweł Kluza often references not only the art but also the figures of Nikifor Krynicki and Edward Dwurnik themselves, paying tribute to their memory and artistic legacy. Just as Edward Dwurnik’s early works bore a striking resemblance to those of Nikifor Krynicki, so too do Paweł Kluza’s works bring to mind Dwurnik’s art; yet a distinct evolution of his painting style is evident in the color palette, composition, and surrealistic elements of his urban landscapes.

In recent years, his works have been published in, among others, the Catalog of Polish Young Art, Dom&Wnętrze magazine, the quarterly Artysta i Sztuka, and the weekly Angora. He is currently preparing for two major solo exhibitions.

Paweł Kluza’s work has also been recognized by esteemed Warsaw art galleries, which offer his oil paintings as well as limited-edition Inkography series.

Paweł Kluza’s works are warmly received by long-time collectors of works by the pioneers of Polish primitivism. The artist’s works are found in many private collections, both in Poland and abroad—including in Germany, Switzerland, Canada, and the U.S.—as well as in public institutions such as the Gdańsk Museum and the Museum in Świebodzin.