Biography

The works of Dorota Podlaska often reflect her private life. An important aspect of her artistic work is its narrative character. Her preferred medium is figurative painting for which she developed a peculiar mode of presentation. The artist uses small paintings and objects to create installations. She also creates photo documentations and interventions in galleries and living spaces, and designs books and other publications. Her work has been exhibited among others at the Zacheta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw, the Centre for Contemporary Art at Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw, Arsenal Gallery in Bialystok, the Centre for Contemporary Art ‘Laznia’ in Gdansk as well as in Finland, France, Italy and South Korea.

Dorota Podlaska graduated in painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts of Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun in 1989. While a student she was involved with several art groups such as Naprzód, Yach-Film where she created video art and realized happenings. In 1993 she co-founded the Water Tower Art Association in Bydgoszcz. She currently lives and works in Warsaw.

Selected individual exhibitions

  • 2011
    30 film cuts, Muranow Cinema, Warsaw
    (5th Five Flavours Asian Film Festival, Warsaw)
    Lost in Translation, BWA Gallery of Art, Olsztyn/Plocka Galeria Sztuki, Plock
    Places and People, District Museum of Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz
  • 2010
    Happy Newspaper Series – Seoksu Market, SAP Art Project, Anyang, South Korea
    Courtyard (Wroclaw), Entropia Gallery, Wroclaw
  • 2009
    Courtyard (Bydgoszcz, Torun), Municipal Gallery BWA – Kantorek Gallery, Bydgoszcz
    Straight on, Turn Right Past the Suits, Zacheta National Gallery of Art – Kordegarda Gallery, Warsaw
  • 2005
    – There and Back, Le Guern Gallery, Warsaw
  • 2003
    Hickory Dickory Dock, Entropia Gallery, Wroclaw
    Head in the Clouds, One Foot on the Ground, Biala Gallery, Lublin
    To Where?, Water Tower Gallery, Bydgoszcz
  • 2002
    Dorota's Library, BWA Gallery, Zielona Gora
    Earth is Flat, ON Gallery, Poznan
    Beginning, End and Something in-between, exhibition during the Polish Young Art Festival, Open Studio Gallery, Krakow
    Hell / Heaven, Witches’ Tower Art Gallery, Slupsk
  • 2000
    I Cry at the Movies, Centre for Contemporary Art – Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw
    Happy Birthday, Dorotka, My Archives Gallery, Koszalin
  • 1996
      ore of Little Pictures, Kantorek Gallery, Bydgoszcz
  • 1995
    Letters, Painting exhibition, Mózg Gallery, Bydgoszcz
  • 1994
    Flight – Interior design, Water Tower Gallery, Bydgoszcz
  • 1993
    Textiles and painting, ‘85 Gallery, Bydgoszcz – outdoor installation on the 70th anniversary of the Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum in Bydgoszcz
  • 1992
    Exhibition of textiles, Trytony Club, Bydgoszcz
    Exhibition of textiles, Arche Gallery, Museum of Archeology, Gdansk
    Textiles and painting, Municipal Gallery BWA, Bydgoszcz
    Enchanted Castle, exhibition of Dorota Podlaska and Stanislaw Stasiulewicz, Kantorek Gallery, Bydgoszcz
  • 1991
    Voyage. Exhibition of textiles, Sculpture Gallery BWA, Warsaw
    Voyage. Exhibition of textiles, courtyard of the Voivodeship Conservation Office, Bydgoszcz
  • 1990
    Sail Power Museum. Exhibition of textiles, Kantorek Gallery, Bydgoszcz
  • 1989
    Travel. Exhibition of textiles, Author’s Gallery of Jan Kaja and Jacek Soliński, Bydgoszcz

Selected group exhibitions

  • 2010
     Happy Newspaper Series – Seoksu Market, SAP Art Project 2010, Anyang, South Korea
    The Truest Love Stories. Allegories of Love in the Contemporary Polish Art, National Museum, Szczecin
    Big Up 5, Anglet, France
  • 2009
    The Truest Love Stories. Allegories of Love in the Contemporary Polish Art, District Museum of Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz
    Gallery of Modern Art, District Museum – Red Granary, Bydgoszcz
    Collections. International Collection of Contemporary Art – Centre for Contemporary Art – Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw
  • 2008
    Reisefieber, Rondo Art Gallery, Katowice
    Suavity and Despair, Wozownia Gallery, Torun
  • 2007
    Come, I'll Tell You a Story, Manhattan Gallery, Lodz
  • 2006/2007
    21st Century Painting, Zacheta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
  • 2006
    Love Will Forgive You All, or a Short Exhibition About Love, Gallery DLA ..., Torun
    In Poland, What Does It Mean?, Centre for Contemporary Art - Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw
    In Between, Woo Lim Gallery, Soeul (South Korea)
    Nomads of Nowadays, Laznia Gallery, Gdansk
  • 2005/2006
     Acquisitions of 2004, District Museum, Bydgoszcz
  • 2005/2006
    Merry Christmas, Arsenal Gallery, Bialystok
  • 2005
    Dorota Podlaska & The Randomroutines. Live 2005, Vasa Konsthall, Vasa (Finland)
    Impulse. Contemporary Art from Poland, Polish Institute, Düsseldorf, Germany
    Egocentric, Immoral, Outmoded. Contemporary Images of Artists, Zacheta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw
    Regional Collection of Contemporary Art, Museum of Contemporary Art – National Museum, Szczecin
  • 2004
     Les vents de la Drome, Bell Atelier, La Roche sur Grane (France)
    Bustle II, Avant Garde Art Gallery BWA, Wroclaw/BWA, Zielona Gora
  • 2003
    Collection part II. Polish Contemporary Art from collections of Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum in Bydgoszcz, Red Granary, Bydgoszcz
    Supermarket of Art, Artists‘ House Gallery, Warsaw
    Odra II Oder, Tabakfabrik, Vierraden/2yk Galerie, Kunst Fabrik, Berlin/ Amfilada Gallery, Szczecin
    A Woman for a Soul, Manhattan Gallery, Lodz
    GARBa (art workshops), Montescaglioso (Italy)
    Biennal I Maleri, Vasby Kunsthalle, Vasby (Sweden)
    Habitat, National Museum, Szczecin
  • 2002
    Apator Loves Polonia, Gdanska Street, Mill Island, Bydgoszcz
    GARBa (art workshops), Montescaglioso (Italy)
  • 2001/2002
    Oikos, 6th edition, Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum of Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz
  • 2001
    Bustle, Avant Garde Art Gallery BWA, Wroclaw
    Masquerades, Centre for Contemporary Art Inner Spaces, Poznan
    Apator Loves Polonia, Torun
  • 1999
    Brain in Frost, or Cold Lettuce, Mozg Gallery, Bydgoszcz
    The Brain at BWA Zielona Gora, BWA, Zielona Gora
    Lending a Brain, Club OdNowa, Torun
    Earth, Air, Heaven, Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum of Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz
    6th European Artists Meeting, Borne Sulinowo
  • 2000
    Construction in Process. This Earth Is a Flower, Lubostron
    Lagadian Stories, Polish Sculpture Centre, Oronsko
    Oreste (art workshops), Montescaglioso (Italy)
  • 1999
    ‘Na Piętrze’ Gallery, Toruń
  • 1998
    Oikos, 4th edition, Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum of Bydgoszcz, Bydgoszcz
    Meitheal / Together, Manorhamilton (Republic of Ireland)
    3rd European Artists Meeting, Borne Sulinowo
  • 1998
    A Short Description. Painting exhibition, TPS Dworek Sierakowskich Gallery, Sopot
    Pictures for the Well-behaved and the Naughty, ZPAP Okop Gallery, Olsztyn
    Dorota Podlaska, Podlaska Gallery, Biala Podlaska
    Women, Men and a Few Moments of Agreement Between Them, Water Tower National Art Gallery, Konin
  • 1995
    Polish Impression, a competition realized by Poland-Japan Foundation, Warsaw
  • 1991
    The Diary, Kantorek Gallery, Bydgoszcz
  • 1990
     Painting, graphic arts, textiles, Kantorek Gallery, Bydgoszcz
    The Pentagon, the exhibition of visual art of the group Yach-Film, Author‘s Gallery of Jan Kaja and Jacek Soliński, Bydgoszcz
  • 1989
     Critics about us, BWA, Sopot
    The Dungeons of Manhattan, Lodz
  • 1988
    To Every Time Its Own Art. Young Artists National Exhibition Arsenal ‘88’, Hala Gwardii, Warsaw

Awards, grants

1987 – an award at the First National Exhibition of Miniature Painting, Gallery 85, Bydgoszcz
1989, 1990, 1996, 2001 – Grant of the Ministry of Culture, Poland
2000 – Grant of the Foundation of Culture, Poland
2004 – Grant of the Ministry of Culture, Poland, Artists Residency in Finland
2010 – Grant of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Poland, Artists Residency in South Korea

Works in collections:

Centre for Contemporary Art – Ujazdowski Castle, Warsaw
Centre for Contemporary Art ‘Znaki Czasu‘, Torun
Warmia-Masuria Zachęta‘ Association for Fine Arts, Olsztyn
Zachęta‘ Association for Contemporary Art, Szczecin
Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum, Bydgoszcz
private owners