Anna Orbaczewska’s drawings depict an exhausted, overloaded, impatient woman who is subjected to violence. Thus, traditional cultural tropes are mixed with what is often hidden deep beneath the surface of familial and social relations. The protagonists refer to dramatic female characters from the prose of Günter Grass; their fate was affected by war and social repressions.
Devoted to violence and toxic relations between genders, their expression is completely different from the artist’s easel paintings. They are quick, brutal reports of difficult situations and emotions. The transition from light to darkness and the unspeakable is an extraordinary discovery for the viewer. Against the backdrop of movements such as #metoo and women’s rebellion against cultural and structural violence, Orbaczewska’s voice resonates with particular force, especially when we view her small drawings on paper up close. Recently, her paintings also introduce this expressive, dark atmosphere.