My first encounter with art was through Catholic imagery, particularly church art and holy pictures. These types of images instilled a sense of fear, fascination and guilt as they often depicted violent events, such as the Crucifixion, and other forms of martyrdom. Later, I was exposed to dystopian and science fiction imagery through novels and films. These different influences took root in my imagination and began to grow into something new.

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Beginning from an early age, I often drew pictures that were dark, disturbing and apocalyptic, which didn’t escape the attention of my teachers. As I grew older, I began to resent the claustrophobic morals of my surrounding, so I set out to find answers to who and what I am through psychology and philosophy.

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This restless need to make sense of the world – not just around me but the emotional world that exists within me – continued throughout my formative years and continues today. It’s what drives me as an artist and painter. It’s why I continue to search the folklore and traditions of other peoples for a resolution, and why my art more recently has found its sources in shamanism, African deities, Greek and Native-American mythologies. 

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Above and beyond that, I’m trying to strike a balance between my intuitive urges as a painter and my rational need to impose a formal structure on my work.

© Michal Janowski 2017

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