Viola Tycz

Viola Tycz is a Wrocław-based multimedia artist. A graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts, Miró Foundation and Ministry of Culture grantee. Works in printmaking, painting, video and installation; widely awarded, museum collections.

About the Artist – Viola Tycz

Graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław and grantee of the Joan Miró Foundation (Spain), the Young Poland program and the Polish Ministry of Culture. A multimedia artist working across printmaking, painting, video and installation. In 2013 she opened the Viola Tycz Studio/Gallery, refurbished with EU funds.

Awards & Distinctions

Recipient of numerous national and international prizes, including the Grand Prize at the INTERNATIONAL GRAPHICS BIENNIAL Cluj; 2nd Prize at the Bielska Jesień Contemporary Painting Biennial (BWA Bielsko-Biała); Honorable Mention at the International Print Triennial Kraków; Grand Prix at the 4th International Print Triennial in Cairo; Honorable Mention at the 18th Festival of Contemporary Painting Szczecin; Jury Prize at the 4th International MiniPrint Triennial, TAMA, University of Tokyo. In 2014 her paintings were auctioned at Christie’s London. Sotheby’s awarded a scholarship for unconventional graphic techniques. In 2021 the City of Wrocław acquired her works.

Collections

National Museum in Warsaw; National Museum in Kraków; Wrocław Contemporary Museum; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; International Print Triennial in Kraków; Lower Silesian Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts; City of Wrocław collection; and private collections.

Biography & Education

Painting studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław (1995–1996). BA/MA in Printmaking, Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław (1995–2000). Founder of the Contemporary Art Center REAKTOR. Lecturer in Multimedia and Video at AFA Wrocław (2001–2005); visual arts instructor (2009–2014). Member of the International Print Triennial Association in Kraków; initiator of the Wrocław artists’ group “Reaktor”.

Artistic Approach

Minimalism, pop art, street art, figuration; the graphic nature of painting and painterly qualities of printmaking. Figuration serves as a vehicle for ideas and ambiguity, inviting active viewer participation.

Selected Exhibitions

• “I RAK/war exhibition”, BWA Awangarda – Wrocław (2003)
• NOVA POLSKA – Polish Season in France, Galerie ZOO – Strasbourg (2004)
• 60th Anniversary of the Academy of Fine Arts, National Museum – Wrocław (2006)
• “Identity”, from the collection of TZSP, Museum of Architecture – Wrocław (2007)
• “Child–Adult”, Fabryka Trzciny (2008)
• Multimedia: “Animalakcje” CSW Łaźnia – Gdańsk (2002)
• “Artist In-Between”, Motorenhalle – Dresden (2004)
• Kontakt–Kontekst Space Festival – Poznań (2005)
• “Bonn – Poland”, Germany
• “My Temple”, National Museum – Wrocław (2009)
• Video Evento – Italy (2011)
• Print: MTG – Kraków (2004); Horst Janssen Museum – Oldenburg (2003); Washington International Print Fair – Washington DC (2005)
• “PRINT – Internationale Grafiktriennale Krakau – Oldenburg – Wien”, Künstlerhaus – Vienna (2007)
• “Masters of Drawing and Print”, Varosi Muveszeti Museum – Győr (Hungary, 2007)
• “Num_errance”, La Biennale internationale d’estampe contemporaine de Trois-Rivières – Canada (2009)
• “Color in Print”, Center for Printmaking – Thessaloniki (2010); “Grafomania” (2012)