A woman according to Mariusz Drapikowski
The sculpture of a woman on display at the Amber Museum belongs to a limited collection inspired by the beauty and harmony of the female body. It was created in the 1990s, influenced by the artist’s collaboration with the well-known sculptor Jacek Sumeradzki.
“There were literally a few of these sculptures, each one was different, but each had a characteristic elongated silhouette, each maintained in the style of Art Nouveau and made with the use of natural Baltic amber” – says its author Mariusz Drapikowski. In the sculpture on display at the Amber Museum from this mineral was made of hair: “I remember that this piece of amber itself suggested to me to use for it: blown hair in a pleasant reddish colour, like from Gustav Klimt’s paintings”. This collection was created as a “side effect” of cooperation with Jacek Sumeradzki – the artists met briefly to implement a joint project, but the inspirations turned out to be strong enough to be reflected in the next works of Mariusz Drapikowski.
Mariusz Drapikowski, an amber artist, is best known for spectacular sacred works, many of which have achieved timeless status, such as the Amber Altar and the Millennium Monstrance in St Bridget’s Basilica in Gdańsk and the Jerusalem Triptych. His Gdańsk studio, established in 1984, has also produced many unique artistic pieces, the most characteristic being impressively large platters of fruit made of amber, glass decorated with amber, silver and wood, and silver jewellery inspired by the natural forms of amber. Amber is a very important stone for him: “I have always been in love with this exceptional stone associated with the Baltic. Its warmth, a temperature close to that of the human body, creates a close bond and makes working with it all the more pleasant. I love bringing it to life, setting it so that sunlight passes through it easily.” The settings are made mainly of silver and gold, but also of other materials that bring out the charm and colour of this exceptional stone. He often places it on a par with stones commonly regarded as the most precious – diamonds, sapphires and rubies – as in the robe for the Miraculous Image of the Virgin Mary in Częstochowa. “Although sacred art now absorbs me to a great extent, I still take enormous joy in ‘serving’ people,” he says. His latest completed project, an amber medallion for the canonisation coin minted for the canonisation of John Paul II, will combine these two dimensions.
