Czerwone Korale
Artist Statement
"Czerwone Korale" or "Red Beads" in English is a digital painting autoportrait showing a person dressed in female Kashubian clothing. Red beaded necklaces is one of the staples of Polish folk outfits. To go along with that the dress and face are covered in blood, for me the motivation was just the pure fascination of the contrast between blue and red with the fact how much the red colour is present in Polish culture. Beads, lipstick, ribbons, even one of most popular Polish paintings "Stańczyk" is red. It is the colour of our flag, emblem and national flower (poppies, which are also present on the painting). Red is present everywhere, and in the flag it indeed symbolizes blood spilled on the battlefield. My initial thought during the process of painting was to simply represent myself in those clothes, as I started exploring my identity as a Polish-Kashubian person.
It was made during winter break, as it was my first time so far away from home for so long, from people who speak my language and share the same history. I missed home, ironically. Drawing myself in the clothes from my region I wanted to connect to it, as I only had very few things reminding me of Poland.
Marzanna "Robbin" Głowacka
Marzanna "Robbin" Głowacka born and raised in Poland. Currently studying at Bennington trying to focus on Animation with Music.