Polish artist Aleksandra Pranica has spent the last 3 years living in Scotland, getting to know the culture and admiring nature. It is these experiences that inspire her graphic arts practice which focuses on the linocut technique.
She graduated in both Graphic Art and Art History from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow. Aleksandra describes; “I have always been interested in art, and drawing has been with me since I can remember. For me, it was a form of self-expression, collecting memories and, in a way, a commentary on the events currently happening in my life.” She was looking for a suitable means of expression for a long time, wanting to use the ideas that were accumulating in her sketchbooks. But when the world stopped at the beginning of 2020, she decided to explore linocut.
“For me, making a linocut is a way of expressing myself, but also a moment of stopping and breathing. When I carve the block time freezes in place. This activity allows me to calm and reach a deep, almost meditative state. What fascinates me about this technique is that I have to confront the result with the design that is created in my head. Sometimes I am completely surprised by what I discover. What I like about linocut is that seemingly limited by tools offer great creative possibilities.”
Aleksandra’s linocuts were originally created to bring people with a similar view the world over closer together; “I believe that our surroundings reflect the state of our soul. By gathering beautiful objects around us, we allow ourselves to appreciate ourselves.” Her inspirations reach both the old masters and everything that surrounds her both in nature and at home. Aleksandra regularly uses her sketchbook to draw, and is always snapping photographs to think about frames and write down memories.
She is currently “shyly” taking the first steps in discovering the art of Japanese woodcut, understanding the world of colours and precise cuts that it entails. “More and more often I am haunted by thoughts to close myself in the studio and freely paint on canvas. I am attracted to abstraction and how intimate in my opinion that kind of painting is,” says the printmaker. Recently, she has also become fascinated by Japanese art, poster art, and match packaging from all over the world, and is looking forward to bringing these influences into her creative outputs.
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