One of the most prevailing themes of contemporary art from the early days of postmodernism is the erosion of barriers between different forms of expression, as well as between the physical world and the inner world.
This has seen the rise of multimedia artists such as Malgosia Stepnik, whose works are inspired by the Albert Einstein quote that describes everything as being connected to everything else.
Beyond connecting different forms of visual art together through bespoke framing, a polymath approach to artistic disciplines and a focus on a variety of different media formats, Ms Stepnik also expresses the unique link between art and the innate and deeply personal.
Part of this is the result of her background. Born in southwest Poland, she had a lifelong love of art from the age of 13 but initially had an academic interest in Psychology, until she made a decision that would shape the rest of her life.
In 1998, Ms Stepnik stepped away from her qualifications in Psychology and moved to Paris and later to London, eventually studying at Christie’s Education in their course on Modern and Contemporary Art Studies.
Whilst there, she realised the liberating power of art and would continue to develop and learn more as an artist, starting but ultimately withdrawing from the Chelsea College of Art and Design in London’s Foundation Course, picking up some knowledge on Sculpture, Painting, Mixed Media and Fashion design that would shape her art style later.
After further experimentation with a range of different approaches and mediums, she graduated from City and Guilds London College of Art in 2008, with a decade of artistic discovery shaping her career as an artist.
Ultimately, whilst her skills have been shaped by her decade of learning and self-discovery, her subject matter traces back to her early studies in psychology and sociology.
Many of her works use a distinct circle motif reminiscent of the nucleus of a brain cell and alongside the often wild and unconventional use of vibrant colour clashes give many of her pieces a quality reminiscent of an MRI brain scan.
The works have a distinct organic quality as well, looking tangible and distinctly alive. This is most notable with many of her illuminated works such as He, where these elements combine with psychedelic motifs to create less a theatre of the mind and more a psychological landscape.
The approach bears a surprising resemblance to the works of Roger Dean, famed for his distinctly otherworldly approach to psychedelia.
The circular forms also reflect the “sea of energy” that represents our collective existence, with her goal to challenge the traditional perceptions we have about art and its possibilities.
Other works such as Tabula Rasa (Baby Dreams), use phosphorus pain to give the works a distinct glow when viewed in dimmer lights.
Her breakout project was the ambitious Journey To Self, a multimedia exhibition that combined art, film, digital visual art, painting, drawing and audio/visual installations to create a vivid and personal reflection of her journey from a young girl drawing circles in Poland to an expert in multiple visual mediums.