Janina Kraupe, DISTURBANCE, 1971

59.2 x 39.0cm - color linocut, brown ribbed paper

Signed under the engraving: l.d.: "Descent" épr. d'art., p.d.: Kraupe 1971

Janina Kraupe (also exhibited as Kraupe-Swiderska) studied painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow from 1938 to 1939, and then from 1940 to 1942 at the Kunstgewerbeschule created by the occupying forces to replace the Academy. She continued her studies at the academy from 1945-1948 under Eugeniusz Eibisch and Waclaw Taranczewski (painting) and Konrad Srzednicki (graphic design). She graduated in 1948, and received her diploma in 1955. She worked as an educator at her alma mater from 1948-1991, and as a professor from 1964. During the war she collaborated with Tadeusz Kantor's underground theater. In 1945 she joined the Group of Young Visual Artists. Since 1958, she has been a member of the Cracow Group. From an early age, she engaged in parallel painting (easel and wall painting) and printmaking (monotype, lithography, linocut). She participated in important international exhibitions, such as the XXVI Art Biennale in Venice 1952, the VIII Art Biennale in Sao Paulo 1965, all editions of the International Biennale of Graphics in Cracow 1966-1988 and the Triennale of Graphics there since 1991, as well as other periodic exhibitions at home and abroad. She received numerous awards at them. Since her early years, the artist has been involved in esoteric themes, magic, gnosis, kabbalah, astrology, etc. She also takes up themes related to music, poetry, mythology. In her work, subject matter seems to prevail over form, which often adapts to the needs of clearly conveying symbolic or philosophical content. Beginning with her early monotypes for K. I. Galczynski's "Niobe," through paintings maintained in the spirit of lyrical abstraction, to the series "Musical Notes," "Kabbalistic Signatures," and others, the artist continues her distinctive style, based on the one hand on a free, spontaneous painting gesture, and on the other - on full of hidden meanings, sometimes decorative arrangements of ideograms, symbols and signs.