- Art & Design
With her sculptures, Polish Alicja Podgórska Birkner wants to have a soothing, almost meditative effect on the viewer. We therefore see the sensual, organic forms that characterise her oeuvre as the perfect addition to a relaxing home environment.
As a child, art did not play a particularly important role in her life and an artistic career was not in the cards. Yet there was plenty of room for creativity and Alicja Podgórska Birkner tells us how, among other things, her parents drew everything she asked for. ‘It was not necessarily art, but they drew with a loving skill for me. I remember my father – who died at a very young age – drawing especially beautiful. I myself have been drawing for as long as I can remember. Always and everywhere, as soon as there was a pen and paper. Sometimes even a pencil was enough. But drawing on the walls was not something my mom was too happy about,’ says the sculptor and designer with nostalgia and a great enthusiasm in her eyes. In addition, painting and even singing and acting were among her favourite pastimes as a teenager. 
Just before graduating from the University of Wrocław with a degree in pedagogy, she became aware of what she really wanted to do in life. She took additional studies at the Academy of Fine Arts and eventually converted her passion for artistic expression into a successful career. With her work, she wants to enrich life – her own life, and also that of others – in a relaxed way, and she does so with complete dedication and without allowing herself to be influenced by what others say: ‘Calmness and love is what is supposed to come from my work. And in my opinion, being able to work as an artist and to artistically evolve is only possible with complete devotion, decisiveness, persistence, humility, trust and thankfulness. Whether someone else likes your work should not play a role. The creator is the decisive instance when a work is created the way it is supposed to be. The basis for this is creative maturity which also requires confidence in oneself. It should not play a role whether someone would buy the work.’
Sensual, organic forms characterise her oeuvre.
However, we are big fans of the work of Alicja Podgórska Birkner and we would love to own one of her creations. Not only is a sculpture of hers an intriguing and stylish addition to any interior, it is also a timeless item that radiates peace and harmony. Furthermore, she has designed porcelain tableware which she herself calls ‘sculptures with a function’. Although they may be utility products, they are once again timeless designs with a unique formal language. In addition to aesthetics, haptics and therefore comfort were also an important factor in the creation of this collection. ‘Good design should enrich life and at the same time simplify it through innovative solutions,’ says the Polish designer who has been living and working in Munich for more than 30 years. 
‘Nowadays, we tend to get flooded with sensory stimuli. The sculpture on the other hand is supposed to have a calming effect with its appearance, and bring the viewer into a relaxed, almost meditative mood. I intend to give a room a vibrant calmness with my sculptures and wish to invite the viewer to follow and accompany the shape sensually in a subtle way. My sculptural works are organic shapes in the first place, partially with “step” forms or consisting of multiple parts,’ Alicja Podgórska Birkner also tells us.
Want to know more about this artist and her remarkable works? Be sure to read our full interview with her in the issue Imagicasa Art 2020.
Header image by Sé Collections London