The Daily Croissant

The pastoral atmosphere of the Polish countryside provides a solid, mimetic foundation for much of Yerka's art.

However, it is his own uniquely evocative dreams that limn the complex, often arcane imagery of his work.

One need only glance at the luminous surfaces of Yerka's canvases to perceive his adoration of, resonance with, the master painters of the 15th and 16th centuries, key factors in the development of this surrealist Cagliostro. Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel, Hugo van der Goes and Jan van Eyck were powerful, early influences.

“I was born in Torun (city in Nothern Poland) in 1952. My parents were students of local Fine Arts Academy. Thus I came to world with special heritage, even in double . My earliest memories refer to the smell of paints, inks, paper, rubbers and brushes. In my artistic family, it was my father who was resposible for ideas, while my mother was perfect in working them. Fortunately I inherited bright features after both of my parents, at least in the field of art. As overreactive kid, I had some social problems with my colleagues of the same age. I hated playing outdoor. I used to sit down with a pencil and immerge into my own , different reality. I did not paint a lot that time, but I loved to draw and sculpture. My fingers were always cut with sharp small knife I always was carrying with me and used to sharpen my pencils. It was my escape from the grey, sometimes horryfying reality – drawings, hundreds of drawings and small sculptures: boats, heads, figures, fantastic masks. My greatest source of inspiration is always (and I bet will be) my childhood souvenirs – that places, remembered feelings, fragrances and technique of 1950s . You can see it in : Between Heaven and Hell, Attack at dawn, Summer in the city, Paradise in the yard or Halloween.”
Jacek Yerka