Martyna Czech

A painter and graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, where she received her degree with honours in 2017 from Professor Andrzej Tobis’s studio. In her practice, she describes painting as “emotional vivisection.” Her work is expressive, direct and intense, characterised by bold colours, dynamic lines, deliberate distortion and figuration. She explores themes of identity, corporeality, memory and existential experience, often addressing toxic interpersonal relationships, violence and her own experiences. The relationship between humans and the animal world is another important area of her interest.

In 2015, while still a student, she won the Grand Prix at the 42nd Bielska Jesień Painting Biennale, one of the most prestigious awards for Polish painters. In 2019, she was nominated for a Polityka Passport Award in the Visual Arts category, and in 2020 she received an honourable mention in the 13th Geppert Competition.

In recent years, her work has been presented in solo exhibitions including Wasteland at the Centre of Contemporary Art in Toruń (2024); Viper’s Nest at Galeria Lotna in Warsaw (2024/2025, with Krzysztof Piętka); The Fantastic Nature of Life at SZOKART Gallery in Poznań; and Storytelling at Van Rij Gallery in Ćmielów (2025). In 2025, she also presented the exhibition Disease Entities at the Municipal Art Centre in Gorzów Wielkopolski. Her work has also been featured in group exhibitions, including Rewilding: The Breath of Creeping Shadows at BWA Warszawa, House of Day, House of Night at MOCAK in Kraków, and States of Matter as part of the Zorza festival.

Martyna Czech’s works are held in collections including those of the National Museum in Gdańsk, the Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, Galeria Bielska BWA, the Elektrownia Mazovian Centre for Contemporary Art, and mBank’s “M jak malarstwo” collection. She lives and works in Katowice.