Jan Możdżyński

Jan Możdżyński is a painter and activist, he was a member of the student self-government at Warsaw’s Academy of Fine Arts, organized the black protest and appealed for the appointment of an equality ombudsman. He graduated from the Faculty of Painting, where he had studied under the supervision of Jarosław Modzelewski and then completed work on his diploma annexe – a series of painting objects – in my studio. Immediately after receiving his diploma in 2018, he took part in several important group exhibitions, including the Pomada festival and the APH 2018 show of contest finalists. His works qualified for the main exhibition of Bielska Jesień 2019. He also organized four solo shows. His works will soon be showcased at the Warszawa w Budowie festival, entitled Pomnikomania.

In his painting, Jan Możdżyński deliberately toys with the taboo of certain sexual behaviours. He does it using Aesopian language, cleverly concealing “naughty” queer content in visually attractive painting form. We receive his art as a manifestation of compelling post-surrealist aesthetics. Using formal quality and beauty, the artist entices us into a trap. There is an atmosphere of sexual play in it. We suddenly realize that we deal with content which is Sadesque in nature, that the artist follows the steps of Pierre Klossowski, author of the book Roberte Ce Soir. There is an aura of scandal hanging around Janek Możdżyński’s art. BDSM motifs are inherently present in art, but at the same time they are tabooed definitely more strongly than LGBT. The theme is acknowledged by art historians, especially from the psychological school.

Janek Możdżyński fuels interest in himself by claiming to be an active participant in BDSM sessions, which arouses attention the way Witkacy’s alleged drug addiction did. In the case of his painting, we should not stop at the interesting colour and formal layer. We must get involved in the issues it deals with. They become important due to the freedom of expression. Besides, I am of the opinion that one of the roles of art is to express content which departs from social norm, which most of the society avoids or ven fears.

Janek Możdżyński is an exaggeratedly “sugar-coated” revolutionary, for instance when juxtaposed with Polish critical art of the 1990s. His works feature a lot of cartoon pop and graffiti aesthetics. The painter shows us fetishist “flowers”. Możdżyński hides away with a difficult topic in the convention of the slow medium of painting. At the same time, he is subversive and biting. I am convinced that his pictures are worth seeing.

Jan Mioduszewski

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