Dawid Szymański (b. 1989, Poniatowa), "Confessions," 2026

Biography
He graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw with a degree in Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art. In 2018, he received his diploma in the specialization of Conservation and Restoration of Paintings and Polychrome Wooden Sculptures. As a conservator of historical monuments, he actively participates in numerous conservation projects, primarily focusing on the conservation of Baroque altars, polychrome wooden sculptures, murals, and paintings on movable supports. His passion for the multifaceted nature of early art and pop culture, as well as the incredible expressiveness of the Old Masters’ paintings, serves as inspiration for his own work. In particular, the expressiveness of religious painting and its symbolism, when combined with contemporary issues, produces an unusual effect. The grandeur of sacred themes, combined with contemporary materials, allows for the subtle incorporation of often controversial topics in a way that is unobtrusive to the viewer. Upon closer inspection, the portrait of a young man is unsettling; the question arises as to whether the figure with idealized facial features is experiencing spiritual or physical ecstasy. References to spirituality and sexuality are ever-present in the artist’s works, in which, as the artist himself says, “everyone sees what they want to see.”