Slawomir Gruca was born in 1971 in Lubliniec. He graduated from the Faculty of Graphic Arts at the Higher School of
Pedagogical College in Czestochowa, he graduated with honors in the studio of printmaking. W
initial period of his work he created works in ink, but for a long time he has specialized in the
oil pastel technique, which has since evolved into his own technique. The artist
presents his works in several galleries at home and abroad, as well as in his own author's gallery.
He is the winner of many art competitions, including the Satyrykon in Legnica. In addition to his purely
painting, the artist designs book covers, creates posters as well as theater stage designs. Among his
regular recipients include the Fronteras Inútiles Theater of Montevideo, Uruguay, the Adam
Mickiewicz Theater in Częstochowa, Muza SA, as well as the Turkish publishing house Aylak Adam, which has already published
already more than a dozen books with the artist's covers. Slawek Gruca's works are in the possession of a large number of
collectors at home and abroad, while the artist himself willingly supports various charity auctions
charity auctions. In 2018, Slawek Gruca's painting "Family Portrait" appeared as the subject of one of the
Polish high school graduation questions.
Slawek Gruca creates paintings that are emotional and thrilling at the same time, playing with symbolism,
meaning and, above all, ambiguities. Oil works created by Gruca are a plethora of
reflections on who or what man and his world - or rather, his worlds - are. The stories
depicted in the paintings seem to be universal and pertain to each of us or most of us.
Events and stories that happen to people in their interpersonal, cognitive and emotional lives
- Not easy, ambiguous, human. The mood is built around the characters depicted in the
works but also with them. Milder ones seem more dramatic at a second glance,
The dramatic ones, on the other hand, on closer acquaintance, allow themselves to be tamed and see their softer face. Sadness,
ridicule, fear, love and tears - all perfectly coupled, orchestrated into one important story.
Combining different moods is, in a way, a specialty of this artist. Gruca's works evoke
various feelings, but it is impossible to remain indifferent to them. The artist himself does not like to comment
about his work, he believes that his commentary on his work is unnecessary, as the artist finishes
his work the moment he puts down the materials. From then on, the work lives a life of its own, arousing the
viewer's feelings and encouraging him to discover his own world through or in the world depicted
in the painting. He has high expectations of himself and, as he says, in order to want to paint one must strive to
to live up to them. He looks for inspiration, or rather, he stumbles upon it in his own environment -
people, events and even words spoken in his presence.