Metaphysical Abstraction
My artistic practice focuses on developing a universal visual language that fosters the experience of spirituality and is able to affect the viewer directly—beyond narrative or the need for intellectual decoding. In my work, I seek planes of encounter that connect people rather than divide them. From this approach, my concept of metaphysical abstraction emerged, which I understand as a visual melody: a form that speaks on a subconscious, instinctive level—through rhythm, light, colour, and matter.
The source of my work lies in a concern for the depth of experience—both my own and that of the viewer—and in resistance to reducing it to what is merely superficial. I understand spirituality not as something detached from matter, but as an immanent dimension—present in the body, in space, and in everyday being in the world. I am interested in the moment when the corporeal or material becomes a carrier of inner experience.
An important point of reference in my practice is the concept of the temple, understood not as a sign of belonging to a specific religious tradition, but as an archetypal space of contemplation and stillness. This way of thinking underlies works inspired by sacred architecture and art, approached in a broad and universal sense. These works do not attempt to represent specific places; rather, they constitute intuitive records of experiences evoked by encountering such spaces.
I work slowly, creating both wooden reliefs and paintings. I primarily use egg tempera, building planes through the application of numerous semi-transparent layers of paint. This allows the image to emerge gradually, through subtle interpenetrations of colour, light, and matter. These works are therefore not single, immediate gestures, but the result of a long, concentrated process in which form unfolds slowly, much like the experience of contemplation itself. Alongside studio works, I also create large-scale projects within architectural interiors, where the bodily experience of space plays a crucial role.
My works do not tell stories nor do they propose closed interpretations. They function rather as fragments of a larger whole, inviting the viewer to pause, to look attentively, and to turn inward toward their own experience.
More about my artistic views can be found in the interview for Culture.pl:
- The Art of Inner Necessity: An Interview with Joanna Mazuś (Culture.pl, EN)
- Polish translation available on my website
“Joanna Mazuś approaches painting with analytical precision and philosophical depth. She creates abstract structures that pulse with spiritual intensity.”
— Faustyna Sroka, curator of the exhibition „A Home for the Name”