The first solo exhibition in Belgium by Polish-British artist Tomasz Laczny (1974) will be on view at IN-DEPENDANCE by IBASHO. Laczny studied art, design and philosophy. His work is rooted in experiences of migration and loss, connecting deeply personal narratives with broader social themes.
'Traces'—as the exhibition is titled—refers both to the marks that tools leave on paper (i.e. ink brushstrokes in drawrings, chemical traces in photography) and to the psychological marks that intrinisically connect the three bodies of works in this exhibition.
In 'Erna Helena Ania' (large-scale cyanotypes), Laczny revisits WWII and the tragic love story of his grandmother — a German woman who, because of her poor living conditions, was unable to raise her daughter and was forced to give her away to save her life. The accompanying artist book is part of the library collection of MoMA in New York.
'The Plague' consists of tintype self-portraits of Laczny and his son, created during the period when they were separated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition also includes a selection of drawings from his ongoing series Urushi, in which, as the artist explains, “everything happens through layering, patience, and curing, and I felt that was quite similar to how drawing develops — slowly, through lines, textures, and layers coming together.”
Tomasz Laczny will give a two-day book workshop 6-7 December at IN-DEPENDANCE, focusing on editing, layout design, binding exercises, and creating a draft dummy of an artist book.
The vernissage of 'Traces' exhibition will take place on Saturday 22 November from 14:00 to 18:00, in the presence of the artist, who will be also signing copies of his books.