Malgorzata Bańkowska

Małgorzata Bańkowska – painter and draughtswoman merging dystopian surrealism with figuration. Collected across three continents (largest private collection in China); collaborates with DESA Unicum. Currently explores dip-pen ink drawing.

Małgorzata Bańkowska – dystopian surrealism & the power of form

Małgorzata Bańkowska (b. 1976, Milanówek) grew up between Brwinów and Podkowa Leśna; since 2006 she has lived and worked in Warsaw. Her early phase (incl. the “Red Gallery” drawings) fused eroticism, fetish and military motifs with biomechanics. Over time her practice evolved toward dystopian surrealism and post-apocalyptic visions, with increasingly large formats.

Style & themes

Range from minimal, dark monumental figures to baroque richness with pop-art inflections. Alongside female figures, ominous male characters appear. Recurring threads: history, power, dominance, war, apocalypse. Instead of piling up symbols, she deploys detail deliberately—everything serves narrative and emotion.

Technique & process

Currently focused on black drafting-ink drawings with dip pens. The method privileges shape and blot—an impulsive, form-first approach: “pure form expression.”

Collections & collaboration

Works held in Asia, Europe and North America (largest private holding in China). Collaboration with DESA Unicum. To date: 18 solo and 6 group exhibitions.

Direction

Young art, figuration, dystopian/post-apocalyptic surrealism.