Jakub NIEWDANA (1989), Krokuta/Hiena from the series: Safari

ceramic, glazed, gilded with 24k gold; 32 x 19 x 10 cm; No. 1/5/2023
(limited edition of 5 pieces per year)
unique finish
Sign, date, on bottom: NIEWDANA 1/5/2024

Graduate of the Faculty of Sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow - studio of Prof. Nowakowski where he received a diploma with distinction. In 2015, he began doctoral studies at the Pedagogical University of Cracow. He is a scholarship holder of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. In addition to his academic activities, he is involved in the work of the association "Ceramics Without Borders", of which he is a co-founder, He mainly works in sculpture, drawing, ceramics and photography. His works have been shown in many solo and group exhibitions.
The idea for the Safari series was born after the artist returned to Rwanda where he and a friend were setting up a ceramics studio for blind children in Kibeho. Before returning, he received a wooden crocodile from a stick. "It was wonderful - you can see that someone found a piece of bent stick, incised it in a few places and an animal was created. I thought I would make a similar one, but in ceramics. That's where the series started."
I'm not interested in illustrating reality. I try to find the Platonic idea of an animal, its quintessence, rather than realistically reproduce it. I like to play with simple forms, to see where the boundary is, beyond which the juxtaposition of a few solids causes us to see a cow or a zebra. The series is primarily about the animals of Africa, because once you go to this continent, it stays in your heart and you want to go back there. But "safari" means to walk, so I expanded it to include native creatures, such as the owl or chamois.
Jakub Niewdana
(Excerpted from an interview for Veranda)