Magda Bielesz

Magda Bielesz often revisits the theme of childhood toys: a swimming wheel, roller skates, a ball or a scooter, that allude to the era of carefree, childish joy. Self-Portrait depicts the artist standing in a black swimsuit with a colourful ball held against her belly, symbolizing the process of the transformation of a female body during pregnancy. This piece is a personal reflection of an artist who found herself at the threshold of two worlds, a symbolic transition to the stage of life related to motherhood, but also the beginning of a new direction in her career. The painting can be considered a sign of discovering new domains and artistic inspirations resulting from the arrival of a child. The artist becomes a mother – a guide who shows and explains the world to her child, and inspires the son’s own creative explorations.

• Object type:
  oil on canvas
• Year:
  2012–2014
• Dimensions:
  100 × 81 cm
• inv. no.:
  MNG/NOMUS/19/D
• Własność:
  Deposit of the City of Gdańsk, part of the Gdańsk Collection of Contemporary Art