Joanna Pilarczyk
Joanna Pilarczyk is a London-based contemporary figurative painter. Born in Poland, she earned a Master’s in Visual Arts and Art Education from the Art University in Zielona Góra.
Pilarczyk’s expressive use of colour and layered compositions have gained international recognition. She won the Boynes Monthly Artist Award (November 2024) and was shortlisted for the Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2025 at the National Portrait Gallery. Her accolades also include being longlisted for the Jackson’s Art Prize (2024) and finalist placements for the International FiKVA Award (2023) and Women United Art Prize (2022, 2021).
Her work has been exhibited widely at the Royal Society of Arts, Mall Galleries, Saatchi Gallery’s Start Art Fair, and The Other Art Fair in London. She had a solo show with the Untitled Gallery based in New York, showcasing her My Paradise series. Internationally, her paintings have been featured at Superfine Art Fair in New York, 33 Contemporary Gallery in Chicago, Mixx Atelier in Telluride, and Kunstbehandlung Gallery in Munich.
She recently exhibited her paintings at A Gogo III with Mash Gallery in Los Angeles and at The Art of Resistance group show at the Untitled Space Gallery in New York. Her painting was also exhibited at IWD: Modern Female with 33 Contemporary in Palm Beach.
Captivated by the vibrancy of paint, Pilarczyk uses a mixture of clashing colours, blending neon acrylics and oils to create sensual and striking portraits of acquaintances and friends within the community of London.
Her romantic compositions explore themes of relationships, self-awareness, and acceptance. They convey melancholy and stillness, capturing a moment where the subjects are simply resting and free of responsibility.
In her recent work, Pilarczyk portrays mixed-race and gay couples and women of colour. To create these portraits, the artist discusses marginalised communities with her friends and models, delving into their experiences, love stories, and struggles related to racism, sexuality, and cultural diversity. She aims to give a voice to people seeking acceptance within their community.
Her subjects are not passive figures but active, central forces in her compositions. Whether capturing the resilience of Black women, the quiet tenderness of same-sex relationships, or the layered identities of immigrants navigating new realities, Pilarczyk challenges societal perceptions and celebrates the beauty of diversity.
