Wilhelm Sasnal

Wilhelm Sasnal, born in 1972 in Tarnów, Poland, and currently residing in Kraków, approaches painting with a traditional foundation while conceptualizing it as a formal exercise akin to a director crafting a film. His artistic repertoire knows no bounds; he paints everything from mundane objects to historical figures, scenes from his hometown, snapshots of friends and family, images gleaned from the internet, 20th-century propaganda, and photojournalism.

Sasnal often delves into Poland's national history, drawing upon the trauma of war and the Holocaust, which he renders in large-scale black-and-white paintings. His obsession with routine manifests in diverse series, and just when viewers feel they grasp the essence of his work, he shifts direction and presents something entirely new. His compositions frequently juxtapose classical still lifes with advertising imagery, seamlessly transitioning from a cowboy in a Spielberg film to the bathers of Seurat.

He prioritizes the essence of his subjects, declaring, “there are no rules. The only rule is not to cheat.” Despite the apparent disconnection between his works—ranging from beautiful yet self-destructive women to landscapes of Poland, car crashes, doomed airplanes, cinematic fragments, fairy tales, and music—there exists an underlying logic. It’s as if he is constructing a grand film that narrates the contemporary world through his unique perspective.

Among his notable works are a significant series of portraits, including one held in the Iannaccone collection. Disinterested in aesthetic beauty, Sasnal is captivated by one of humanity’s most primitive gestures: the act of igniting fire. His masterfully painted, silent figure alludes to the slow self-destruction of memory—a mute witness to history. Through his multifaceted practice, Sasnal continues to offer poignant reflections on the complexities of modern existence, engaging viewers in a visual dialogue that resonates with our collective experiences.