From May 23 to July 31 2026 we invite you to a new exhibition in Edward Dwurnik Foundation
Our exhibition examines the work of two artists who are seemingly very different from each other. Rikako Kawauchi is a renowned contemporary artist, born and based in Tokyo, Japan. Her fascinating artistic practice encompasses diverse approaches. Her engaging oil paintings, created with dynamic broad brushstrokes and stylus are dense textural compositions,which stand in contrast with her subtle and minimalist drawings. We juxtaposed Kawauchi with a selection of works by Edward Dwurnik, aneminent figure of Polish art of the second half of the (20th century, whose estate is in the foundation’s custody.
Both artists worked in completely different historical and social contexts and relatively distant cultures. They meet in the space of visual symbols theyemploy, and in this space, they suddenly become very close. Using the image of the human body, they both convey and analyze the complex mosaic of human emotions, gestures and behaviors that manifest them.
The titular motif of the human head—not the face, but the head—recurs constantly in the works of both artists in various contexts and constellations. In Kawauchi’s paintings and drawings, this motif is subtly woven into a narrative of closeness, physicality, and the pulsating life around them. At times, the head in her works symbolizes ethereal, free-flowing thoughts (Mermaid, 2023), awakens vigilance (Palm Fruit, 2022), or alertness (Lot of Moles, 2022; Embrace, 2023). In her drawings, the anonymous heads resemble planets orbiting in cosmos – they are small fragments of a larger whole; fleeting, fragile, and at the same time very important like every single human life.
In Edward Dwurnik’s works, the heads—sometimes expressing no emotion,other times quite the opposite—seem to be released into the universe and its histories, like dice thrown lightly onto a table. They have no control over their trajectory, but they participate in the history they find themselves in. They look at us (Still These Mugs, 1982; Banner, 1984), at the city that surrounds them (Central City Passage, 1979), at existing divisions (Western Bourgeoisie, 1979). Their gaze follows the artist’s. Rikako Kawauchi references the personal experience of each of us, while Edward Dwurnik places his characters, as well as individual heads, in a landscape constructed by a specific historical period. Therefore, if we look at the 1979 collage from the Workers series, we identify some heads with representatives of the working class, others with those in power. Similarly, in the works from the Long Live the War!! series from the 1990s, we identify screaming and spitting heads as symbols of commanders, soldiers, rebels and fighters.
And yet, in some compositions, we find a tender attentiveness that permeates Kawauchi’s works. This happens when Dwurnik abandons political references and forgets that the human head perfectly manifests society’s current mindset. Collages such as Beautiful in the Mirror and Construction Fence (both 1979) explore the human condition, as does the Japanese artist over forty years younger. Drawing attention to the organs associated with the head, such as the tongue, or the decoration of the head (dots-moles in Kawauchi’s work, shiny golden paper in Dwurnik’s) indicate a light and playful treatment of the subject, devoid of pathos or stiff seriousness.
Beyond the meaning and interpretation, Kawauchi and Dwurnik’s practice undoubtedly share a dynamic and aggressive approach to the medium of painting. Both generously and densely apply oil paint to the canvas, creating impasto layers that draw the viewer deep into the painting. Here, one can trace the strokes of the painter’s tool, whether brush or palette knife, and immerse oneself in the dense substance of the paint. In drawing, both employ a free, lively line which gives their works a lightness and clarity that serves the message well. Kawauchi complements pencil compositions with watercolour, while Dwurnik uses silver paper, linocut prints, cuttings from press, postage stamps, and rubber stamps.
It is fascinating to follow the dialogue between Rikako Kawauchi and Edward Dwurnik. Art transports us to another dimension, where divisive categories and phenomena such as gender, language, geographical distance, tradition, culture, and time have no significance.
