Dauka 15 1987

Here is an artwork by Małgorzata Serwatka, called Dauka 15, made with an arsenal of delicate lines and washes of orange, grey, and purple. I can only imagine the artist coaxing this creature into being, feeling its way through layers of thought and intuition. I am in awe of the artist’s hand as she creates an otherworldly portrait of this feline. I see the animal floating in a chromatic atmosphere of red and grey. The details are amazing. See how the mane is rendered with long, almost calligraphic strokes. The more I look at Dauka 15, the more I get a sense of Serwatka as a kind of alchemist, transforming the mundane into the magical through the sheer force of her creative vision. I feel the work is in conversation with other artists, like Paula Rego, who conjure strange and wonderful worlds through their art. Painting is a way for artists to keep asking questions and finding new ways of seeing.