Balka often uses his own body and studio as a starting point, incorporating materials with distinct textural or historical associations in his work. A select few of these include ash, felt, salt, hair, and soap. Drawing inspiration from personal and collective memories, Balka’s subject matter is heavily influenced by his Catholic upbringing and Poland’s tumultuous recent history. His art confronts the complexities of translating subjective traumas into established historical narratives, and vice versa. Simple, ordinary objects are transformed by Balka into powerful reflections of daily life and the hidden stories of Poland’s Nazi occupation.
Miroslaw Balka was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1958. He currently resides and creates in both Otwock, Poland and Oliva, Spain. His body of work has garnered widespread recognition, including solo exhibitions at venues such as Castello di Ama, Siena (2019); Hangar Bicocca, Milan (2017); Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany (2017); British School at Rome (2016); Museum of Art MS1, Lodz, Poland (2015); Foksal Gallery, Warsaw (2014); Freud Museum, London (2014); National Centre For Contemporary Art, Moscow (2013); Akademie Der Kunste, Berlin (2011); Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin (2011); Museo Nacional Centre de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid (2010); Modern Art Oxford, UK (2009); Tate Modern, London (2009); Museum of Contemporary Art, Rijeka (2007); Irish Museum of Modern Art, Dublin (2007); Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, K21, Düsseldorf, Germany (2006); Museum of Contemporary Art, Strasbourg, France (2004); Kroller-Muller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands (2001); Dundee Contemporary Arts, Scotland (2002); and Stedelijk Museum voor Actuelle Kunst, Ghent, Belgium (2001).
www.ftn-books.com has Balka titles available.
