Okęcie 2017

Paweł Kluza made this painting, Okęcie, with what looks like acrylic paint, in 2017. The way Kluza applies the blues, layering them on top of each other, makes me think about artmaking as a process of discovery, of seeing what happens when you put one color next to another. The surface of the painting has a tangible quality, with visible brushstrokes that catch the light. I'm drawn to the way the paint is applied in thin, transparent layers, creating a sense of depth and luminosity. The stark buildings and leafless tree could be dismal, but the sky-blue palette gives the scene a kind of optimism. I keep going back to the tree in the middle, with its branches reaching up towards the sky, like an offering. Kluza's style reminds me of outsider art, where the focus is on raw expression and unfiltered emotion. It’s all about embracing the unexpected and finding beauty in the imperfect.