The Forgotten Madonna

The Forgotten Madonna

This painting is an attempt to reach the hidden layers of the history, memory, and identity of my region in Poland. The figure emerges like a face carved into the earth itself – a woman, a spirit, a forgotten presence sleeping deep beneath the surface of this land and within the collective memory of its inhabitants.

Ancient legends, folk beliefs, and memories of demons and unseen forces still endure beneath the surface of contemporary life. Although their names have faded, their traces remain.

The circular forms surrounding the figure evoke both a halo and ancient folk symbols, revealing the encounter between Christian and pre-Christian traditions. Earthy browns, muted greens, deep reds, and dark blues refer to the soil, wood, and rural landscape of Central Poland.

The painting was created through scratches incised into the layer of paint. These marks resemble scars – metaphors for the fractures imprinted upon the face of a community and a nation. Through them emerge forgotten stories, hidden fears, and echoes of a past that refuses to disappear completely.