Octopus II

Andrzej Szymczyk’s sculpture is founded in a hyper-realistic response to animal forms, which he then blends with varying degrees of expressive interpretation. A keen diver, he has based his most recent collection on his explorations of Madagascar’s coral reef in March 2020, and it symbolises his reverence, fascination and dedication towards protecting the natural world, while at the same time reminding us of both its fragility and its necessity. 

Careful study and close analysis of the anatomy of every subject he sculpts enables Andrzej to recreate the subtlest tensions of musculature movement and to articulate his vision with a high degree of accuracy. This deep understanding of physical characteristics gives Andrzej the ability to create something completely new, rather than recreate a bronze replica of what he sees, Andrzej strives for his sculptures to have an emotional impact on the viewer, to call to mind memories or to tell stories as if each has its own spirit that is emerging from within. His work captures both the likeness and the character of these marine creatures, and is more interested in perception and subjectivity than scientific measurements. He is fascinated and inspired by his personal interactions with nature and is, he says, more like a poet describing an event than a journalist – less obviously factual, yet revealing truths that may not be found in a straightforward account. To do this, he manipulates and distorts proportion and shape to achieve the subject’s movement and balance and to express its nature.

Biography and work by Andrzej Szymczyk