Introducing Contemporary Collective x Bankside Winter Artist Residency ft. Ewa Podles

Artists in Residence: 16th December 2024 - 2nd March 2025

Bankside Hotel, Art Yard Studio, London SE1 9JU

Bankside Hotel x Contemporary Collective are thrilled to welcome mixed media artist Ewa Podles to the Art Yard Studio as their Winter Artist in Residence. In the studio from 16th December 2024 to 2nd March 2025, Ewa will work on a project called ‘Between’ - a merging of portraiture with abstraction to create a balance between the real and the undefined.

Inspired by both classic female portraiture and abstract art, Ewa plans to combine these two practices to further capture the essence of the female form openly and expressively. Combining the traditional portrait techniques with the abstract form, Ewa aims to build another layer of connection between the artwork and the viewer using various materials such as paper, canvas, ink and acrylic - hence the title, ‘Between’.

“Creating an image is a journey between imagination and matter, between artistic vision and the skilled gesture of the tool, between a set of aesthetic preferences and the ability to express them within the limited frame of a canvas. Between these, an alchemical act takes place - invisible, mysterious, the sub-conscious transitioning to the conscious, and sometimes spontaneously expressed in a single brushstroke.”

Looking at the surrounding physicalities of the Southbank and Bankside Hotel, Ewa’s main goal is to evolve her artistic process and create a collection of paintings that mirror the modern beauty of the hotel’s architecture. Through the synthesis of portraiture and contemporary abstraction, Ewa hopes to provide an immersive and creative experience for those who visit the studio.

Ewa will also look at her interactions with hotel guests and local community members to further inspire her abstract portraits. During her time in residence, Ewa will take over the Contemporary Collective Instagram to share regular updates, progress videos and images of her work. Follow her progress on Instagram @Contemporary_Collective.

About Ewa's Practice:

“If I were to define myself in a word, I would say “aesthetic”. I am a collector of beautiful experiences and my overarching desire is to introduce harmony all around, creating spaces in which one can experience the joy of the aesthetic. I am a glass designer by trade but have been painting for many years. I study the subject and weave my own vision into the portrait of the person I am painting. Even here, within the small space of an image, I strive to find beauty. I look for it in human faces, eyes and hands, even when I depict pain, loss, or despair. I consider music to be a vital ingredient of my daily diet. Music in the background and in the everyday bustle of life. But it is when I paint that music comes into its own, as an indispensable medium for my emotions.”

View the full collection of Ewa's artworks

Residency events:

Thursday 27th February 2025, 6-8 pm: Residency Collection Launch

Residency Partners:

For any further information, please do not hesitate to contact Jenna Sachs: Jenna@DegreeArt.com / 020 3701 7412 / www.DegreeArt.com