Agata Kus

Agata Kus is a versatile artist who explores various mediums to express her creativity. Her artistic repertoire encompasses painting, drawing, video art, and ceramics.

Biography of Agata Kus

Agata Kus, born in 1987, is a contemporary artist based in Krakow, Poland. Her artistic journey began with her enrollment at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, where she specialized in painting. In 2012, she completed her diploma under the guidance of Professor Leszek Misiak.

Driven by her passion for artistic exploration, Kus pursued further academic achievements and obtained her Ph.D. in 2018. From 2010 to 2016, Kus worked as an assistant at the atelier of Paulina Ołowska, a renowned artist.

Agata Kus's art style

Agata Kus employs diverse formal techniques to create her distinctive artworks. Using pictorial collage, pseudo-cutouts, paste-ins, obliterations, and destructions, she achieves a striking juxtaposition of various textures and executed compositions. This innovative approach invites viewers to explore multiple layers of visual storytelling within her paintings.

Primarily focusing on depicting people, Kus's artistic style is characterized by the incorporation of multiple narratives within a single composition.

Agata Kus: Horror Picture Show

The exhibition's title, "Horror Picture Show," pays homage to the iconic 1975 American musical film, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Through this reference, the artist suggests that her art possesses the power to evoke contradictory emotions, encompassing both anxiety and delight. Kus's vibrant paintings weave intricate and interconnected narratives featuring individuals, animals, and objects.

Kus's key motifs are people and animals. Animals serve as symbols, subtly alluding to various human character traits. Furthermore, the incorporation of artwork titles and fragments of poetry within the paintings adds an additional layer of context for interpretation.

Artistic Achievements and Recognition

Agata Kus has received numerous accolades and recognition for her artistic contributions. She was awarded the prestigious Grand Prize at the International Media Art Biennale WRO in 2015.

In 2017, Kus was honored with a nomination for "The Views" Deutsche Bank and Zachęta National Gallery of Art Award, further solidifying her position as a prominent artist within the contemporary art community.

Her talent and artistic vision have also caught the attention of esteemed institutions. In both 2011 and 2018, Kus was shortlisted for the Vordemberge-Gildeward Award. In 2021, she achieved first place in the "Kompas Młodej Sztuki" ranking of young artists, as published in the renowned newspaper "Rzeczpospolita."