My journey in painting has been a profound exploration of the depths of my inner self, shaped by personal hardship and the life-changing experience of relocating to New York City from Poland as a political refugee. This new reality brought isolation and nostalgia, and through my art I confronted and unraveled these emotions.
My obsession with painting self-portraits was a dialogue with the inner self—a reaction to how I felt—that created every new piece. In 2010, I couldn't work on portraits anymore; I was mentally and emotionally exhausted.
In 2012, I began exploring the monotype printing medium—creating unique, landscapes. As I mastered this technique, I realized the endless possibilities that flowed from my intuitive self-expression.
In 2023, I painted a new series of self-portraits, aiming to revisit and explore the shadows of my past. To my revelation, I discovered that some things remain unaltered, persistently etched into my existence—a constant reminder of the inescapable facets of my journey.
©2018 Evan Mann
Exhibitions
1991 - Right Bank Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
1992 - Right Bank Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
1994 - 80 Washington Square Galleries, New York, NY
1994 - 148 Gallery, New York, NY
1996 - The New York Law School, New York, NY
1996 - The Art Gallery, Lower Columbia College, Longview, WA
2002 - U.N.D. Witmer Art Center, Grand Forks, ND
2002 - The Puffin Cultural Forum, Teaneck, NJ
2004 - Kurier Plus Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2006 - Shtooka Gallery, New York, NY
2007 - Artes Gallery, New York, NY
2004 - Kurier Plus Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2008 - Artes Gallery, New York, NY
2010 - Konduktorownia Gallery, Czechstochowa, Poland
2012 - CPS Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2013 - Art Slant Gallery, Brooklyn, NY
2014 - Adelante Gallery, New York, NY
2018 - Kitano Alley Gallery, Kobe, Japan
2022 - BAF Art, New York, NY
Education
University of Fine Arts, Poznan, Poland
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) Painting, in Prof. Jan Switka’s studio
2 years Lithography in Prof. Jozef Drazkiewicz studio
Awards
1994 - Painting Award, Hillwood Art Museum
2021 - Painting in collection, the Lyman Allyn Museum, New London, CT
Bibliography
Peter Acheson, artist profile–Ryszard Semko. Greenline - 1991
Medea de Vyse, Waterfront Week - 1991
Medea de Vyse, Greenline - 1991
Jacek Gulla, Kurier Plus - 2004
Nekoro Gomes, Williamsburg Gazette - 2007
Czeslaw Karkowski, Kurier Plus - 2008
Czeslaw Karkowski, Nowy Dziennik – 2008