Statement

My art tells my story — a story of my world, of thoughts and emotions entwined in an internal dialogue. Some experiences can be expressed only through painting. The fairy tales I heard in childhood shaped who I am; even today, I believe in happy endings and that good ultimately prevails.

I vividly remember the tale of The Enchanted Pencil — a pencil capable of materializing anything drawn. Over time, I realized that my paintings became those doors. Doors leading into my world of peace and harmony, where dragons, wyverns, basilisks, and dwarfs roam freely. A world filled with deeper meanings that I continue to search for — and that search itself is a fascinating process.

Process of Work

The painting process often begins before one consciously decides to paint. Technically, it starts with plywood and layers of primer. I begin with a sketch, then gradually work with oil paints, building subtle valors.

Light is central to my exploration. The deeper the shadow, the brighter the light. Balance emerges from contrast. I often discover light not by applying white paint, but by removing layers to reveal the white ground beneath. There is something of a search in this process — a continuous question: what am I looking for?

Bio

Lidia Wylangowska, a native of Poland, has lived and worked in Illinois, USA since 1993. She works primarily in portraiture and figurative oil painting, exploring personal narratives that bridge internal and external worlds.

Her dynamic works combine realism and abstraction, executed in muted neutral tones contrasted by vibrant layered hues over intricate vegetal and textural relief patterns. This visual language creates a merging of inner and outer possibilities.

An autodidact, Lidia has developed a distinctive visual vocabulary and inimitable style. Her artworks are included in numerous private collections across the United States and internationally, and she has completed many commissioned works.