As part of the Blanca and Borja Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection exhibition programme, the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza presents a solo show of works by Ewa Juszkiewicz (Gdańsk, Poland, 1984). Curated by Guillermo Solana in close collaboration with the artist, the exhibition brings together a carefully selected group of over twenty paintings.

In her work, Juszkiewicz reinterprets the historical traditions of female portraiture, reframing the visual tropes of classical European painting and engaging critically with canonical representations of feminine beauty. Employing a refined technique and a visual language that echoes the aesthetics of her source material, she combines a traditional painterly approach with subversive gestures. Her compositions disrupt the conventions of portraiture: the sitters’ faces are obscured by elaborate arrangements of fabrics, hairstyles, fruit or vegetation, drawing on a Surrealist sensibility while reconfiguring the genre.

By deconstructing and reimagining women portrayed in historical painting, Juszkiewicz repositions these images within a contemporary context. Her work examines how femininity has been shaped in European painting, where women have often been defined through ideals of beauty and decorum. In her paintings, the figures elude fixed interpretations, opening the image to multiple readings.

Juszkiewicz has exhibited at leading international institutions, including the Brooklyn Museum, New York; the Centre Pompidou-Metz; the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris; the Museo Picasso Málaga; and the National Museum of China, Beijing, among others.

Her work is held in major museum collections, including the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris; the Brooklyn Museum, New York; the Albertina Museum, Vienna; the Long Museum, Shanghai; and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego.

The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza thanks Almine Rech for supporting this exhibition.

Image usage notice: 

The following images are provided for press use in connection with the exhibition of Ewa Juszkiewicz at the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza.
They may be used solely for purposes of editorial coverage, promotion, and communication relating to the exhibition. Any other use requires prior written permission from the artist.
Images may not be altered in any way, including changes to color, cropping, or formatting, without prior consent. Cropped images must be clearly identified as details.
All reproductions must include the following credit line: © Ewa Juszkiewicz.
The images may not be stored, archived, or used for future publications unrelated to the exhibition without prior written permission.