Bio

Lucja Radwan (born 1951) is a Polish-Austrian painter based in Gols, Burgenland. Radwan has worked with a variety of techniques including watercolour, acrylic, ink, and oil. The artist became first known for her passionate watercolours portraying both urban and rural landscapes. Over time, Radwan’s most identifying style become Speleo-Art – predominantly large-format oil paintings inspired by manifold morphology of different caverns with stalactite and stalagmite rock formations. The artist successfully reconciles endless variety of forms and colours with her unmistakable style distinctive by interplay of antitheses: scare and majesty, lively pulse and static equilibrium. The output are refined oil paintings lavish with thoughtful design and elaborate development. Contrary to this, Radwan’s acrylic paintings usually seem to emerge as spontaneous pieces, where an attractive theme is developed from a fleeting thought.

In my art I use a variety of painting techniques. Initially I was concentrated on watercolors, over time started to work with acrylics which accompanies me to this day. Still, for a long time, the dominant area of ​​my art is oil painting. Most of my current works are large-format images. I get an inspiration from natural motifs, mainly cavern and rock (SpeleoArt). However, the symbolism of Spaleo is usually torn from its context, thereby it obtains intrinsic meaning.

Often registered reception of my work is the impression of liveliness or even impersonation of the forms which are static and inorganic in nature. Infrequent sensation is the communing with virginity areas saffering for their first contact with light. Other disclosed associations include infinity, metamorphosis and tame terror. The already mentioned light as well as the perspective intentionally play an important role in my paintings. Their purpose is to strengthen the sensual message. Perhaps that is why some reviewers perceives my paintings as overwhelming in some indescribable way, forcing attention or even reaction not so much from the viewer as from participant of the meeting with the form.

Most of my images have no title to release an observer from the associations suggested by the author. It is also about releasing the painting from the meaning predetermined by the conditions and emotions from the moment of its birth.

Membership:

• Austrian Professional Artists Association Schloß Schönbrunn-Vienna.

Prizes and distinctions:

• 2000 – The NSS Speleo Art Salon in Elkins, West Virginia, USA: 1 Place and 2. Place for abstract SpeleoArt – painting
• 2001 – The NSS Speleo Art Salon in Mount Vernon Kentucky, USA: 1 Place and 2. Place for abstract SpeleoArt – painting
• 2002–I.C.U. – International Cultural Union, Second International Festival „Femina“, Israel: Honorary Award

Participation in art fairs (selection):

• Vetrina Degli Artist Contemporanei, Florence, Italy.
• Biennale Internationale Dell’Arte Contemporane,  Florence, Italy.
• Art View & Performance Salzburg.
• Internationale Kunstmesse, Neusiedl am See
• “Viennafair” Vienna
• Art Innsbruck
• “St-Art” in Strasbourg

Individual exhibitions (selection):

Modern Art Gallery, Tarnów, Poland; Zürich Kosmos Versicherung, Vienna; HS Gallery, Vienna; Die Allgemeine Poliklinik, Vienna; Haus Attersee, Seewalchen am Attersee; Institute of Culture, Tuchów, Poland; Theatre AKENT, Vienna; Caves in Arts, International Conference Jo’Svafö, Hungary; Regional Museum, Tarnów, Poland; Alte Schieberkammer, Vienna; Santen Sho Gallery Kumamoto-Shi, Japan; Farben & Formen, Haus Wien Energie, Vienna; Gallery of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Austria in Krakow; Culture Center Andrychów, Poland; District Museum (Townhall Gallery), Tarnów, Poland; Castle Gallery Przemyśl, Poland; Gallery of the Regional Public Library in Opole, Poland; Ethnographic Museum Wrocław, Poland; Gauermann Museum, Miesenbach, Művészetek és Irodalom Háza (House of Arts and Letters) Pécs, Hungary.

Collective exhibitions (selection):

Ars “Austriaca 85” Baden, Schloss Grafenegg, Stift Altenburg, “Die Gunst der Kunst”, Schloss Schönbrunn, Vienna, “Salon 94”, Palais Palffy, Vienna, International Speleo Art Exhibition, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, „Go West“ – WUK Projektraum, Vienna; Greillenstein Castle; Kyung-In Modern Art Gallery, Seoul, Korea, House of Arts, Graz; Speleo Art Sewanee, Tennesee, USA. Speleo Art Rockampton Queensland, Australia, Kunsan, 6te Asropa College Dep. Of Interior Desingn, Korea, Speleo Art Idaho, USA; Biennale Internationale Dell’Arte Contemporane, Florence, Italy, Speleo Art, Elkins, USA, Creative Galerie-Free Cart, Vienna, Speleo Art, Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, Speleo Art, Mount Vernon Kentucky USA, second International Festival „FEMINA“, Haifa, Israel, „Rausch der Sinne“ HAK Project, Weinkulturhaus, Gols, Austria; „Der See verbindet“ haus im puls, Neusiedl am See.

Other outreach:

Works of Lucja Radwan are kept by numerous institutions, among others by Austrian Federal „Artothek”, Vienna; Regional Health Insurance Fund (Gebietskrankenkasse), Vienna, Citi Insurance (Wiener Städtische Versicherung), Vienna, Floridsdorfer Bezirksmuseum, Vienna; municipality Palstein, Austria; municipality Gols, Austria; Rolletmuseum – Städtische Sammlung,Baden, Austria; District Museum Tarnów, Poland; Town Museum Tuchów (in the Remembrance Chamber of Tadeusz Radwan, Lucja Radwan’s father), Poland; Ethnographic Museum Wrocław, Poland. Lucja Radwan’s paintings are also in the heritage of Holy Father Pope Johannes Paul II. Her artworks are also held by private art collectors worldwide, from – among others – Austria, Australia, Hungary, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Poland, Switzerland, Turkey, USA.

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