Wabi Sabi / Room with a View by Kasia Fortuna & Wanda Michalak

July 23, 2017 6:10 pm Published by

From October 14th through November 11th 2017 Gallery WM is delighted to present the duo-exhibition:

Wabi Sabi – The Love of Imperfection by Kasia Fortuna & Room with a View by Wanda Michalak.
 
Wabi Sabi – The Love of Imperfection by Kasia Fortuna

In Japan uneven teeth might be considered sexy, shoes that are too big are ‘sweet’ or a bent and disfigured tree something to cherish.

This understanding of beauty leads to interesting combinations of nature and brutality (in a European sense). Plants in front of houses may look randomly put together but you would be mistaken. They are loved by their owners, carefully watered and admired by guests.

A small vase with flowers may be standing on a staircase with a background of pipes and meters. For a tourist this is surprising, but it works and has its own beauty.

Ikebana is the ancient art of arranging flowers. ‘Wabi sabi’ can also describe this wonderful art with curved and twisted branches that are chosen for these flowers arrangements.

This balance between beauty and oddness provides harmony. In Japan one can find beauty in many things.

Wabi Sabi (c) Kasia Fortuna

Room with a View by Wanda Michalak

What happens when we travel? What is the first thing you do when you book yourself into a hotel? Myself, I run to the window… does it have a nice view? No view?  If it doesn’t we don’t like it at all. If it does, we feel well and aesthetically satisfied.
I have had amazing views, overwhelming views, grandiose views and also views I don’t want to remember. Mostly though, I’ve had interesting views. If the view was really bad, then instinctively I believed the general outlook wouldn’t be to good either. Usually, I thought to change it for a better one. Over the years I have become a warrior of the view. A passionate defender of the light that filters through and the gaze that looks out. I’ve become good at it, I enjoy it. Let me take you on a journey through”Rooms with a View”

Room with a View (c) Wanda Michalak

Room with a View (c) Wanda Michalak

Wabi Sabi – the Love of Imperfection‘ van Kasia Fortuna & ‘Room with a View‘ van Wanda Michalak.
Een duo-tentoonstelling van twee fotografen, hun liefde voor reizen en twee volledig verschillende perspectieven op observatie en registratie.

‘Wabi Sabi – the Love of Imperfection’ van Kasia Fortuna

In Japan kunnen oneffen tanden als sexy worden beschouwd, schoenen die te groot zijn, zijn ‘schattig’ en een gebogen, kromme boom is iets om te koesteren.

Dit begrip van schoonheid leidt tot interessante combinaties van natuur en bruutheid (in Europese zin). Planten voor huizen lijken willekeurig samen geraapt, maar je zou je hierin vergissen. Ze worden geliefd door hun eigenaars, zorgvuldig bewaterd en bewonderd door gasten en bezoek.

Een kleine vaas met bloemen kan op een trap staat voor een achtergrond van pijpen en meterkasten. Voor een toerist is dit verrassend, maar het werkt en het heeft zijn eigen schoonheid.

Ikebana is de oude kunst van het schikken van bloemen. ‘Wabi sabi’ kan ook deze prachtige kunstvorm omschrijven met gebogen en gedraaide takken die gekozen worden voor deze bloemenarrangementen.

Dit evenwicht tussen schoonheid en bevreemding biedt harmonie. In Japan kan men in ontelbaar veel dingen schoonheid vinden.

‘Room with a View’ van Wanda Michalak

Wat gebeurt er als we reizen? Wat is het eerste wat je doet als je jezelf in een hotel boekt? Ik zelf loop altijd rechtstreeks naar het raam … heeft het een mooi uitzicht? Geen uitzicht? Als dat niet zo is, vinden we het niet leuk. Als dat wel het geval is, voelen we ons goed en esthetisch tevreden gesteld.

Ik heb prachtige uitzichten gehad, overweldigende uitzichten, grandiose uitzichten en ook uitzichten die ik liever niet wil onthouden. Meestal, heb ik interessante uitzichten gehad. Als het uitzicht echt heel erg was, dan bekroop mij instinctief dat de algemene vooruitzichten ook niet goed zouden zijn. In dat geval probeer ik het altijd naar iets beters te veranderen.

Door de jaren heen ben ik een krijger van het uitzicht geworden. Een gepassioneerde verdediger van het licht dat doorfiltert en de blik die naar buiten gericht is. Ik ben er goed in geworden, ik geniet ervan. Laat me u op reis meenemen door “Kamers met Uitzicht”..

Kasia Fortuna en Wanda Michalak zijn aanwezig op de opening op zaterdag 14 oktober, van 17:00 tot 19:00 uur

Opening photos 14.10.2017

Introduction speech by curator Sebastian Rypson, from left to right: Wanda Michalak, Kasia Fortuna, Sebastian Rypson, Dixie Solleveld

addressing the public

 

 

Kasia Fortuna, photo © Pete Purnell

 

Wanda Michalak “Room with a View” photo © Pete Purnell

 

Reviews:

“World Fine Art Professionals and their key pieces – Kasia Fortuna” by Walter van Teeffelen in e-magazine “If Then is Now”:

Half October I was at the opening of a duo-exhibition at the Amsterdam WM Gallery: ‘Wabi Sabi – The Love of Imperfection’ by Kasia Fortuna and ‘Room with a View’ by Wanda Michalak.

On a trip to Japan Kasia Fortuna, from Lipków, Poland, discovered a whole new way to look at beauty. It was called ‘Wabi Sabi’. Wabi Sabi is the Japanese art of finding beauty in imperfection and profundity in nature, of accepting the natural cycle of growth, decay, and death. It’s simple, slow, and uncluttered – and it reveres authenticity above all.

In Japan uneven teeth might be considered sexy, shoes that are too big are ‘sweet’, and a bent and disfigured tree is something to cherish. Kasia: “My trip to Japan opened my mind to a new definition of beauty. Unlike in Europe where we are used to a hellenistic model of beauty strictly connected with perfection, grandeuse and symmetry, in Japan the idea of beauty is based upon buddhism and zen philosophy, which praise imperfection, modesty and lack of symmetry.”

She now appreciates and loves things that are impermanent, faded and unpolished. “I also found a new passion, the old and traditional Japanese arrangement of flowers, ikebana. I hope to study ikebana in Japan and introduce the art to Poland.”

Walter van Teeffelen, November 2017

For full article see:  http://bit.ly/2h92izm

 

KASIA FORTUNA CV

Katarzyna Fortuna graduated in 1998 from the Film Academy in Łodź, coming top of her year. Kasia’s specializes in the photography of people often using the images of plants, their symbolism of form, color and their phase of vegetation. Her work often raises the problem of alienation of the individual in the age of consumerism as well as showing the phenomenon of androgyny (the blurring of cultural differences between women and men). Kasia also has experience of fashion and advertising photography. Her photographs have appeared on album covers including Maanam, De Mono and Anita Lipnicka. She has collaborated with companies such as EMI Pomaton, ZIC ZAC, Twój Styl Magazine, Playboy, Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Wardyński & Wspólnicy Law Firm, Leśnodorski & Slusarek Law Firm, Clifford & Chance and DDB Corporate Profiles.
1998-2001 Higher School of Photography at the Department of Cinematography of Film Academy in Łódź, 2001 Diploma BA, work „Contemporary androgyn in a series of portraits ‘Gender’’’, promoted by Wojciech Prażmowski.
2001-2003 Higher Complementary Studies MA at the Film Academy in Lodz
2011-2015 Industrial Design in Ecology and Management College in Warsaw, Diploma BA, Diploma BA, work „Invisible barriers”, promoted by Piotr Jaworowski
2014 Shoe design course in Central Saint Martins , London
Since 2001, a member of the Association of Polish Art Photographers
Solo exhibitions:
1999 “Portraits”, Old Gallery of the Association of Polish Art Photographers, Warsaw, PL
2000 “Gender”, Gallery of Theatre Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, Zakopane, PL
2001 “Gender”, Old Gallery of the Association of Polish Art Photographers, Warsaw, PL
2002 “I am”, Little Gallery of Polish Art Photographers and Contemporary Art Center, Warsaw, PL
2002 “Journey”, Leżaki Gallery, Warsaw, PL
2003 “The Man Who Came Down to Earth”, Between Us, Warsaw, PL
2003 “The Man Who Came Down to Earth”, Gallery 4, Rzeszow, PL
2004 “The Man Who Came Down to Earth”, Gallery Levantehaus, Hamburg, Germany
2004 “The Man Who Came Down to Earth”, Gallery WM, Amsterdam, Holland
2004 “The Man Who Came Down to Earth”, Pause, Month of Photography, Krakow, PL
2005 “Fortuna x 3” Gdańsk Photography Gallery of the National Museum, Gdańsk, PL
2009 “Every Moment is a Drop of Eternity”, Gallery Fortunabox, Warsaw, PL
2010 “Postcards from the Future”, Gallery Fortunabox, Warsaw, PL
2013 „The Strenght of Beauty”, NEY Gallery, Warsaw, PL
2015 „The Strenght of Beauty”, Fortunabox Gallery, Warsaw, PL
2016 „Reunion”, Fortunabox Gallery, Warsaw, PL
2017 „Painted by Light”, Fortunabox Gallery, Warsaw, PL
Selected group exhibitions:
2002 “Homeless Gallery”, Warsaw, PL
2002 “Homeless Gallery”, Gdańsk, PL
2002 “Homeless Gallery”, Katowice, PL
2002 “Masters of Photography”, Gallery of Art New Media, Warsaw, PL
2002 “Homeless Gallery”, Warsaw, PL
2003 “Homeless Gallery”, Torun, PL
2003 “Homeless Gallery”, Lodz, PL
2003 “Festival of Photography”, Lodz, PL
2003 “Homeless Gallery”, Melbourne, Australia
2004 “Homeless Gallery”, Kazimierz Dolny, PL
2004 “Glob-All?” Young Polish Women Photograph Their World “Woman Kraft Gallery, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
2013 „Bold beauty”, Wola Theatre Gallery, Warsaw, PL

 

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