Paweł Sobczak

Paweł Sobczak (born 1997) is a visual artist from Poland whose work is rooted in European art traditions, from antiquity to Christianity, while connecting the past with the present. His main focus is identity and how it is formed. Early experiences with visual storytelling in churches influenced his work, though his view on spirituality and religion has since evolved. The theme of fading is important in his sculptures, especially those related to Marian imagery, symbolizing the gradual decline of traditional religions. This theme also appears in his paintings of endangered animals and in his reflections on the queer community, to which he belongs. For Sobczak, the precarious condition of queer lives resonates with the vulnerability of threatened species: both exist in a state of fear towards the surrounding world and a lack of safe space. For him, disappearance is not just an end but also a chance for new beginnings. His work explores current social and cultural tensions as well as the fleeting nature of identity and belonging.