Aleksandra Zawada was born in Poland, in 1982, moving to Scotland in 2007 to to study drawing and painting at Edinburgh College of Art. Her work spans photography, sculpture, and painting, often exploring themes of identity, perception, and the nuances of everyday life. Zawada's art, characterised by its introspective quality and minimalistic approach, captures the transient moments of daily life, reflecting a profound engagement with both past influences and contemporary issues.
Artist, photographer, and sculptor Aleksandra Zawada was born in Poland, in 1982. Zawada initially studied physiotherapy at the Medical University of Gdansk, earning a BSc in the subject, between 2001–4. In 2007, however, she relocated to Scotland in order to study drawing and painting at Edinburgh College of Art, completing her studies in 2011. This period was marked by significant academic and creative development, including an enriching student exchange in Japan during 2009-10 and a formative artist-in-residence programme in Italy in 2013. These experiences not only expanded her artistic horizons, but also influenced her distinctive approach to art. While a student, Zawada was awarded the prestigious RSA Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Travel Scholarship in 2011, which further facilitated her exploration of international art forms and techniques. She has subsequently become a professional member of the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, an affiliation that provided her with a platform to refine and exhibit her sculptural works.
Zawada's engagement with photography has been a central component of her artistic practice. Sparked during her foundation studies, her photographic work explores the blurred lines between reality and representation. She explores themes of perception, visibility, and the interplay between the observed and the depicted, challenging traditional views of photography as a purely objective medium. Green (Paper) Book, a series of 13 prints created between 2011 and 2012, and shown at Les Rencontres de la Photographie at Arles, examines themes of labour, land, and the quest for authenticity in art. During a two-month stay in Beijing in China in 2011, the artist had become captivated by a narrow strip of land alongside the motorway connecting the city centre to the airport. This area, maintained by workers tasked with caring for the greenery, is not typically agricultural yet serves as a metaphorical bridge between rural and urban life. Inspired by Henri Rousseau’s explorations, the project uses this strip of land to discuss broader issues of labour and land use within both real and metaphorical landscapes. The Girl from M project (2022) began during her residency at Fondazione Fotografia in Modena, Italy, and marked a significant evolution in her photographic style. Presented at Brighton Photo Fringe in 2020, this series revolves around a seminal portrait that inspired Zawada, reminiscent of a persistent melody that continually repeats. Integrating this image with elements from Brazilian photographer, Sebastiao Salgado’s Children, the series explores complex themes of identity, adolescence, and nostalgia, blending real and surreal depictions of youth. The portraits oscillate between intimate specificity and universal anonymity, challenging perceptions of identity and belonging, while questioning the capacity of photography to truly convey complex personal histories. Another of her photographic endeavours, the series Burial 2014–2017, explores the concept of minimalism in representation, questioning how little is necessary to evoke a sense of identity and place. The project shifts focus from the grandiose to the marginal and the everyday, challenging the artist to erase preconceived notions and embrace the trivial aspects of life. By concentrating on familiar surroundings rather than distant, exotic locations, Burial promotes an introspective journey that redefines the viewer's perception of the everyday. Through a collection of seemingly nondescript photographs, the series constructs a nuanced portrait shaped by a Northern European perspective, finding relatability and significance in the transient moments of daily life.
Expanding her artistic repertoire, Zawada's sculptures, initiated around 2018, present a unique blend of playfulness and reverence, often drawing inspiration from ancient totems and artifacts. These sculptures are predominantly crafted from raku clay and earthenware, hand-built and hand-painted with oxides and glazes that echo the aesthetics of historical pieces from Japan and China, as well as the patinas of ancient bronze sculptures. This sculptural work is characterised by its modest scale and sparse detailing, which convey both whimsy and a profound sense of deliberation. Painting also remains a core element of Zawada’s practice. Her approach to painting integrates drawing, eschewing preparatory sketches for a more spontaneous expression directly on to the canvas, resulting in works that are ephemeral, tactile, and marked by immediacy. Her paintings often emerge as part of a series, where motifs and themes evolve across multiple works, linking them conceptually and visually. Zawada's artistic practice reflects a thoughtful engagement with her predecessors, notably echoing the raw and expressive qualities of artists such as Cy Twombly. Her work, characterised by its immediacy, unpolished finish, and inventive forms, shows a deep reverence for the past, while forging a distinct path forward. Despite the differences in scale and style, Zawada absorbs and confronts historical influences, integrating them into her own unique expressions in painting, sculpture, and photography.
Zawada’s first solo exhibition, featuring her ceramic sculptures, was held at the Central Library, Edinburgh, in 2022. Her work was also displayed at the Eduardo Paolozzi Project Space in Edinburgh, supported by the 2022 VACMA Edinburgh Award. Another solo exhibition, Nevermind, was held at The Briggait in Glasgow in 2023. In 2024 her work was selected for the 198th RSA Annual Exhibition in Edinburgh. Aleksandra Zawada’s work is not currently represented in UK public collections.