In his first solo show in London, Krzysztof Strzelecki investigates the depiction of homoerotic desire in art and the acceptance of the male figure and its sexuality through a series of glazed ceramic vases decorated with exuberant summer scenes. The viewers are taken on a queer erotic journey where riversides are populated by handsome young men spending their holidays carefree in idyllic locations. Some of the athletic figures are seen getting undressed just before they jump in the warm water for a swim, while others simply recline observing the sculpted bodies around them. Sweating under the intense summer heat, they pass long days trying to get a perfect tan, while maybe having a snooze in the shade. Painted against colourful backgrounds, the men have passionate encounters under lush palm trees and are surrounded by flowers that complete the scenes and contribute to the dreamy atmosphere the artist aims to achieve.

Inspired by the painting Bathers (Summer Scene) by French Impressionist Jean-Frédéric Bazille (1869), Strzelecki chooses an atmosphere of leisurely summer bliss as background for his protagonists. Complex visual narratives unfold on the richly decorated ceramic surfaces with compositions merging harmoniously and scenes remaining mysterious – it’s unclear whether we’re witness to a summer secret, or a new romance. Is this a fantasy or a nostalgic memory from someone’s past? Through this summer-themed body of work, the artist comments on how nature can become a tropical paradise refuge that provides space for love, liberation and for the expression of desires and fetishes. Safe and hidden away from the world by the dense foliage, Strzelecki’s figures exchange glances, perhaps some wrestle playfully to establish their masculinity and eventually experience the joy of sexual excitement.

Strzelecki’s use of intense colour conveys a sensual delight to his animated figures. Large flat areas of deep greens, pinks, blues, and reds are divided by bold outlines. Bodies are finely designed and are given balanced proportions, referencing the pure simplicity and harmony of the male figure as depicted in classical Greek and Renaissance art. The artist draws parallels not only between the iconography of the past and the present, but also the ways in which men perceive and understand their bodies. Strzelecki mentions that since antiquity, the habit of physical exercise in a public yet intimate space – that of the gym – was closely connected to queerness. Young men eagerly compete, fight and come closer to compare their bodies and ensure they are desirable – especially in the summertime.

Along with the ceramic vases presented in the show, the artist has created a new series of wall pieces or ‘paintings on ceramic canvases’ that aim to make an interesting connection between sculpture and photography as perspectives usually encountered in photography are transferred onto the clay surface. In Torso for instance, the image zooms in on a naked chest set against a second background scene. Mimicking the effect of the photographic lens when capturing the image of a model in close proximity, the artist plays with the idea of mixing techniques to investigate the different results and surprising effects this experimentation leads to.

https://taymourgrahne.com/exhibitions/krzysztof-strzelecki-krzysztof-strzelecki-summer-scenes