Captain Zoe (2016) Painting by Małgorzata Bańkowska

Małgorzata Bańkowska was born in 1976 in Milanówek. Since birth, she's been tied to Brwinów and Podkowa Leśna, living at the edge of both of these painterly towns. It's here, as a child, that she began her creative journey.

She was fortunate to come upon an amazing man in her life - a man that inspires her, but also brings her down to earth from time to time, which is often necessary with her dreamer-like approach to life and wandering imagination. In 2006 she moved to Warsaw permanently, where she lives and creates to this day. In the same year she got married and changed her surname from her maiden name Sekuła to her husband's - Bańkowska. The wedding and moving to a new home marked a new stage, the beginning of a creative boom, intensified even more by pregnancy and the birth of their son, Jacek, in 2008.

During this time Małgorzata's works are dominated by erotica, fetish art intertwined with militaristic motifs, biomechanics and medical failure. A huge collection of drawings "The Red Gallery" was created exactly at this stage in her life. Her works portrayed mostly women. Woman-machine, a woman without arms or legs is always very useful and creative. A psychedelic and a bit lost world full of dolls.

In 2013 Małgorzata started working with her husband full time. He took care of organizing exhibitions and artwork sales. A series of exhibitions, both solo and collective was the culmination of this stage in Małgorzata's art. Her works became famous not only in Poland, but also across the border.

Małgosia has suffered a chronic rheumatic disease since she turned 22. The sickness became one of her main artistic drives. Immersing herself in art is a sort of therapy and a way to escape the pain. Some paintings portray the specificity of chronic diseases. It complicates existence, your basic body functions and has a major impact on mental health. Małgosia became driven by a thirst for creation - killing the pain and discomfort via creating art, so to say.

This is why she doesn't like talking about her paintings, to her, the mystery is important. The conversation that happens between the painting and the viewer's imagination, after all, it is through art that an artist conducts a dialogue. She thinks that this "thing" cannot be described or named. If you could utilize a verbal language, art wouldn't be necessary. Everyone must refer to what they see individually. It's an attempt at capturing the elusive.

She paints what she's scared of, affected or even simply amazed and intrigued by. She likes the feeling when there's an outline, an idea forming in her head... This is when she starts drawing first sketches, making notes. This initial idea is often completely different than the final product, but it is the journey that's the most thrilling.
Her works can be seen among many private collections in Asia, Europe and North America. It never happens for an enjoyer of her art to be satisfied by only one artwork.

• Nationality: POLAND
• Date of birth : unknown date
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary Polish Artists