ARTIST STATEMENT
I am a conceptual artist whose practice is rooted in introspection and emotional experience. My work emerges from personal reflection and inner states, while maintaining a strong focus on form and conceptual structure.
The recurring motif in my paintings is the human figure – most often female – explored through psychological and symbolic perspectives. I am interested in the tension between the visible and the internal, the physical presence and emotional narrative.
I primarily work with oil painting, often combined with oil pastels diluted with medium. This interaction between materials allows me to construct atmosphere, depth and storytelling within the image.
My inspirations are interdisciplinary, ranging from visual arts, cinema and theatre to architecture. A significant influence on my artistic sensibility comes from Viennese painting and European Symbolism, particularly the expressive and symbolic approaches associated with artists such as Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Odilon Redon and Fernand Khnopff.
My mission as an artist is to establish an emotional connection with the viewer. I aim to create works that function as a mirror — a space where one can encounter their own experiences, questions and inner landscapes.

BIO
Iwona Ligęza (b. 1990) is a Warsaw-based artist working primarily in painting and installation. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, where she received her Master of Fine Arts degree with distinction and the Rector's Award for academic excellence. Under the supervision of Professor Piotr Smolnicki in Studio No. 7, she developed an original artistic technique and created the installation series Masks and Figures as her diploma project. The theoretical part of her thesis was supervised by Bogusław Deptuła, M.A. She also graduated from the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning at the Lublin University of Technology. Since 2021, she has been a member of the Association of Polish Artists and Designers (ZPAP). In 2024, her painting Bright Red reached the final of the international YICCA competition and was exhibited in the competition exhibition in Venice. In 2026, she was featured in Rynek i Sztuka's article "The Most Interesting Young Women Artists Today." Her works have been exhibited at ImagoArs Gallery in Venice, Galeria Ł, Galeria Żywa, Galerie DAP, and the Centre for the Promotion of Culture in Warsaw.
ART RESUME:
-awards and distinctions:
Named among the “Most Interesting Emerging Artists of Today” by Rynek i Sztuka, 2026
Longlisted for the Jackson’s Art Prize, London, United Kingdom, 2026
Finalist of the YICCA International Contest of Contemporary Art, Venice, Italy, 2024
Rector’s Distinction for Diploma Project, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, 2019
Graduated with Highest Honours from the Faculty of Graphic Arts, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, 2019
- selected solo exhibitions:
Passage, Galeria Ł, Warsaw, Poland, 2026
Simulacrum, Galeria Żywa, Warsaw, Poland, 2025
Moths, Butterflies and Women, Centre for Cultural Promotion in Warsaw, Poland, 2024
Painting and Printmaking, DK Stokłosy, Warsaw, Poland, 2022 & 2024
Pink, Gold, Black, Galeria Metamorfozy, Warsaw, Poland, 2022–2023
- selected group exhibitions:
Final Exhibition of the YICCA International Contest of Contemporary Art, Imagoars Gallery, Venice, Italy, 2024
Annual Painting Section Exhibition of the Warsaw District of the Polish Artists Association (ZPAP), DAP Gallery, Warsaw, Poland, 2022–2026


