Artist: Magdalena Brieger

Magdalena Brieger is a Polish born professional artist, who exhibits regularly in venus in and around York. This includes exhibitions at the York Minster, where all proceeds from the sale of her work there, go towards the restoration of the Great East Window.

Magdalena's work has been greatly influenced by her Polish, Catholic upbringing. She describes growing up in Communist Poland as a dark time, filled with oppression and fear, "faith and hope kept many of us going, the conditions outside strengthened and highlighted what was beautiful and timeless inside us. The harshness and brutality of the outside world made the golden, glowing, candle lit explosions of colour of the interiors of the churches, even more precious and inviting"

Many of Magdalena's paintings focus on the female figure, she often repeats drawings of the female form over and over again. Believing she is possibly attempting to endlessly capture and re-create an image of her mother, who died young and who Magdalena never got to know. Her figures are static, floating through time and eternity, often with angel wings added to the figure with gold leaf.

Horses are another frequent theme of Magdalena's paintings, usually they are on the run, full of energy, big brush strokes give the feeling of power and movement, symbolising the endless, breathless and exhilarating run of life and vitality. Again she uses plenty of gold and silver leaf, bold colours and strong flowing lines, a combination she believes is a throw back to the stained glass windows in the churches of her childhood.

Magdalena is forever experimenting with materials and techniques, although she regards acrylics as the most flexible of modern media. She also paints with oils and waterclours, as well as incorporating industrial and metal spray paint. She often cuts, scrapes back or obliterates the image, layering one on top of another, on canvas, paper or board. She creates paintings of various sizes, however she is happiest when painting on a large scale. Magdalena likes to be able to physically move around the painting, the engagement of movement helps her to express emotions. Her love of music and dance seeps through into her paintings.

Magdalnea does not plan what she is going to paint, the process itself is not conceptual but emotional.

Magdalena is happy to take commissions based on her current work, for more information please contact the Artfulness gallery.