Bartek Arobal Kociemba creates multicoloured drawings in various techniques, as well as collages and installations, combining animalistic, botanical and erotic motifs. Often his works also contain personal messages, creating quasi-fictional visions merging real and imaginary representations of the body (usually male) and nature. The dynamism of the scenes is underlined by the use of living tones, predominantly shades of pink and red, illuminating the illustrations with other colours in the form of contours or sketching. “You’re gonna get it” is a dreamlike frame depicting with almost photographic fidelity open hands pierced by stalks of intoxicating poppy. By showing hands spread in a gesture of expectation, from which sprout flowers associated with both death and relief, Arobal generates a visual narrative of the world’s contradictions.

Romuald Demidenko