Yolanta Nitka Nikt (b. 1961), "I grieve and ponder," 1999

Biography
Yolanta Nitka Nikt studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw (she received her diploma in painting in 1988 from Prof. Jozef Halas). Her artistic outlook was influenced by Andrzej Klimczak-Dobrzaniecki and Aleksander Dymitrowicz, among others. She was the recipient of a scholarship from the Minister of Culture in 1988-89. Initially, the pretext for oil paintings were simplified potted flowers, "sculptural entities", organisms encountered in interiors. Then there were autobiographical subjects of a narrative nature. Showing ordinary life and everyday life. Then there was a large series of self-portraits with her favorite and important artists, to whom she paid homage: "Picnic with Matiss," "Two Painters" (with Frida Kahlo), "Self-Portrait with Niki de Saint Phalle," "Calling Nikifor" (with Edward Dwurnik), "Ride with Rousseau," "Self-Portrait with Geppert," "Crouching in Colors" (with Jozef Halas), and "Self-Portrait with Maria Anto." Several paintings were about musical fascinations: "With Louis Armstrong," "With Ella Fitzgerald" or "With Wanda Wiłkomirska." After that, her paintings featured - simple dresses, hats, ties and simple "Still, living natures." The artist paints outside current fashions, she is fascinated by naive art - with a simple and sincere message. She creates collages with Kurpie cut-outs, and also writes short texts (poems), which she places on her paintings. She looks for metaphors, the interpenetration of colorful, painterly worlds. For many years she has been running SALONIK in Oborniki Śląskie, a place for meetings, concerts and exhibitions.