JAN NIKSINSKI (1988)

63rd Faber-Castell Artists’ Exhibition Pencil Drawings and Colour Paintings from 3 August to 30 September 1988

Born on 28 May 1952 in Przasnysz, Poland. He studied art education and pedagogy at the University of Gdansk from 1972-73. He then continued his studies from 1973-78 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk and the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, graduating with honours. In 1980 Niksinski received a nine-month art scholarship from the Austrian Federal Minister of Science and Research and in 1987 a scholarship from the Polish Ministry of Culture. In the meantime, he taught as an assistant to Professor Hradil at the Summer Academy in Salzburg in 1982. He lives in Warsaw and works there as a freelance artist. In this exhibition Jan Niksinski shows 6 pencil drawings and 11 coloured works. In the latter, he uses a variety of techniques and materials such as cardboard, photographs, newspaper pages, thickly applied paint, some of which has been scratched into the picture, and cut-out, colourfully overlaid surfaces. This results in collages and material pictures with a special charm.

Thin sticks are included in almost all of the works, which the painter – inspired years ago by narrow reeds lying on stony rocks – repeatedly depicts in a very realistic manner. They can also be found in the subtle pencil drawings, which exert a special attraction with their many tones, from soft grey to deep black.

Jan Niksinski gives colour a special status in his pictures. Fine, silky mixed tones compete with strong, powerful flat colours that particularly emphasise the message of the picture.

The Institute of Modern Art is exhibiting 18 further works by the artist at the Schmidt-Bank-Galerie in Nuremberg until 16 September.

Helnrich Steding