Afternoon 

Iwo Zaniewski’s painting, “Afternoon,” captures a moment of quiet intimacy with a striking economy of form. Born in 1956, Zaniewski came of age during a period of significant social and political change in Poland, including the rise of the Solidarity movement. The silhouetted figures invite us to consider the absence of identifying features. This abstraction encourages viewers to project their own experiences of intimacy and connection onto the scene. The soft, warm tones evoke a sense of nostalgia and longing, suggesting a space outside of the everyday, where personal connections take precedence. Zaniewski has said that his work seeks to explore “the universal experiences that connect us all”. By stripping away the specific details, Zaniewski opens up a space for reflection on the nature of relationships, and how these private moments shape our emotional lives. The work encourages us to consider how we create space for intimacy in a world that often feels hurried and impersonal.