Gaya Lastovjak is a contemporary figurative artist based in Krakow - Poland whose works have been exhibited nationally, as well as in Italy, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Monaco among others. She has shown her works at exhibitions such as 14th Florence Biennial, Monaco Contemporary Art Fair, 59th Venice Art Biennial at the Musa Pavilon, VIII edition of the Rome Art Week (RAW) at the Palazzo della Cancelleria Vaticana, Venanzo Crocetti Museum in Rome, Van Gogh Gallery in Madrid, Warsaw Art Fair, Artexpo Basel 2.0 in Switzerland, The Other Art Fair by Saatchi Gallery, the largest sculpture biennial in Poland LABO and many others.

Artist's most recent symbolic, three-dimensional paintings explore themes relating to the dualistic nature of man, that is good and evil, which is part of human nature. She also engages in a dialogue with current events and phenomena. Gravity of the works themes collides with their harmonious form. The paintings covered mainly in white paint appear to be static, colours are replaced by shadows by which the works visually gain additional dimension, the one between a painting and a sculpture. Her art defies all classifications and definitions, it is subtle and at the same time critical. In addition, she is involved in sculpture / paper installations, performance and happening art.

“As an artist, I’m fascinated by existential mechanisms and emotions,

such as struggle, strength, fear, but also freedom, love, and eroticism, as they dynamically enter into dialogue with history, society and human individuality.”

Gaya Lastovjak is fascinated by everything related to life and human existence in the world of moral choices and life roles, as well as the place in which we find ourselves. She is interested in philosophical anthropology, i.e. the philosophy of man based on the works of ancient and modern thinkers, who conducted many detailed studies on the human psyche and his emotionality. Showing emotions is one of the main features of artist works. She wants her paintings to move the viewer not only visually, but also with their content - trigger an empathetic reaction.

"I would like my artworks to be remembered as a personal expression of my views, experiences and reactions to the world. I also want to enter into a dialogue with the viewer. Arouse specific emotions and feelings in him, motivate to reflect on himself and the world around him, or maybe even to change for the better, because we should change the world for the better, but we have to start with ourselves first."

Gaya Lastovjak's art is featured in national and international publications such as Photographize Arts Culture Magazine (USA), Suboart Magazine (Portugal), Marvelous Art Magazine (UK) or The Woven Tale Press (New York) where one of the artist's paintings titled "Change" was featured on the cover of the magazine.

"The paintings of Gaya Lastovjak are quiet whispers of deep realities, where the refined brightness of paint reduces the heaviness of the human condition, expressed by the frozen poses of her characters. They are essentially a critical language of non-violence. The firmness of her message, reflected in the fragile elegance of the overall composition shows a particular sort of aesthetics that goes beyond any type of standard classification. " - writes Ana Malnar in her blog about art and new trends "Paris the Other Way".

The artist was invited to give interviews, where she talked about her art and its meaning. They included interviews for several Polish, French, Italian and British magazines, but also for a Turkish Gazete Sanat World or Independent Arabia.

"Gaya Lastovjak, by creating sculptures on canvas, gives the spiritual aspects of concepts and feelings specific shapes: torso, hands, feet. She points to a certain multifacetedness of meanings through direct presentation of hidden signs and content. Thus, it opens up the possibility of interpreting and searching for the essence of things beyond the layer."

Katarzyna Pisarczyk, BWA

"Hope, optimism, shame, transformation, freedom, love, eroticism, beauty, helplessness, anxiety: those are just some of the aspects of human existence that the polish artist Gaya Lastovjak draws attention to in her three-dimensional paintings, using her signature mixed technique of papier-mâché, canvas and oil paint. Gaya's artistic language is the one of emotional senses, a graceful expression of an universal human experience. Just as the "chewed paper" or papier-mâché is bound by an adhesive paste, Gaya's personal expression is inseparable from the surrounding reality."

Ana Malnar, Paris the Other Way

Gaya Lastovjak is an award-winning artist, having received 29 art awards and 7 nominations as of 2021.