Artist Bio & Insights
Beata’s artistic development started over 40 years ago in Poland, through the Commercial Art College and Sacred Art College (Christian Symbolism in Visual Arts). Her few years of artistic activity in Poland included murals for public library and Catholic church, religious and decorative paintings for private homes, curating the local gallery and set designs/decorating of the commercial spaces.
In 1987, along with her young family – husband Krystian and nearly two year old daughter Agnieszka, she became a political refugee escaping from the regime of Communism. At first, they resided and worked in Greece, where they went through the two years legal process of being permitted to enter Canada in 1989.
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In Canada, Ontario, Beata became a mother for a second time, giving birth to Natalie - another wonderful daughter - while her husband started to work professionally as mechanical engineer. While taking care of her family and learning English (mainly on her own), she continued to create and over the years - had numerous group and solo exhibitions within galleries and cultural institutions of Ontario.
In 1993, due to her paintings and written reflections concerning the fate of children during wars and violent conflicts in the world, Beata was invited with solo art shows by the Polish General Consul to the Polish Consulate in Toronto and by the Canadian Military to the Military Museum in Borden. She also received letter from the Mothers For Peace of Bosnia-Herzegovina – expressing their gratitude to Beata for promoting peace through her creativity and evoking awareness through her art shows of what war does to children.
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During that time, Beata also wrote, co-produced and co-directed two faith inspired performances, based on visual and performing arts, which involved multicultural artists and audiences – including Kanyan actor – Ernest Quintal, Jamaican Gospel Choir – Voices of Praise, well known opera singer of Polish background – Kinga Mitrowska; support of General Consuls of Poland and Jamaica. Beata was featured as an artist in numerous newspapers, TV and radio stations.
She also wrote numerous articles to Polish newspapers and magazines based in Toronto - about meaning of art and about Canadian visual and preforming artists of Polish background with whom she collaborated as an artist - such as Wojciech Strahl, Leszek Wyczolkowski, Vitek Vincza and Kinga Mitrowska.
Her work extended to particular commissions and the decorative art such as painted furniture and murals that she created for private clients in a collaboration with interior designers and contractors. Beata also became very active in a large Polish community in Toronto and Mississauga - organizing group art shows, creating stage set designs for Polish cultural events. She also became host of Polish preforming artists and actors who were touring Canada with their performances.
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Due to her husband work, in 1995, along with her family, Beata relocated to the USA, where she resided for nearly five years. While in Colorado, she graduated with Magna Cum Laude from the University of Colorado Fine Arts, Studio Arts program. Beata had few successful individual art shows at the Canaan Gallery in Denver, group shows at the University’s Gallery and was featured as an artist in a Denver’s newspaper.
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After her return to Canada, in 2001, Beata established ArtVeritas Visual Arts Studio in Oakville - where she continued to develop body of paintings in her unique, layering technique with the focus on texture and light. She also designed specialty, educational art programs for children and adults – which sparked interest amongst local Art Council and cultural institutions. As a result, Beata was invited to be one of the jurors during cultural events for children and youth; and was invited by Vitek Vincza to collaborate with his Hamilton Conservatory for Arts during some of his production for children and involving accomplished preforming artists such as Robert Glumbeck and Robert Desrosiers.
In 2004, she attended York University for the full time Teachers College program - earning a bachelor degree in Education, specializing in Visual Arts and Social Sciences (Psychology, Anthropology and elements of Philosophy). After that, Beata was developing and teaching Visual and Fine Art programs for high school students within international schools (including summer art program in Italy). While in Bronte College of Canada, she organized and was curating theme-based art shows of her international students’ creative works concerning Child Trafficking & Exploitation, at the Haritage Museum in Mississauga and on the school’s property. Her Visual and Fine Art programs designed for summer camp at the Appleby College in Oakville, had long waiting list and prompted many students to peruse further development in art.
Throughout this time, she was continuously creating her own works and was featured with success in several art galleries including Town Square Gallery in Oakville, Arta Gallery and Engine Gallery in Distillery District, Toronto as well as the West of the City Magazine.
In 2011, after successful solo show at the Arta Gallery in Toronto, Beata was one of the two Canadian artists, invited to sponsored, four weeks Painters Symposium in Greece; to paint in Meteora and Chios along with twelve international artists - mainly from Europe. It ended with the final group art show in Athens. Unfortunately, unexpected tragedy crossed her path as her husband, who joined her on that trip, suddenly collapsed with heart failure on the island Paros which they visited. Unconscious, he was transported by the helicopter to the hospital in Athens where he died few weeks later. This sudden tragedy was life changing and resulted in a dramatic decisions and unplanned shifts in her life. Eventually influenced her new series of dramatic paintings: In My Soul – depicting organic, veins-like forms illuminated by the bright light appearing from the depth. In these series more then in others, there is strong chiaroscuro contrast – showing that “light shines in the darkness and the darkness can’t overcome it”.
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Soon after funeral of her husband, Beata traveled to Ireland where seeking solace, she was inspired by the dramatic landscape - stormy ocean, forever vividly green grasses moved in all directions by the unstoppable wind, illuminating light against gray and cloudy sky. It all deeply reflected her inner emotions. In a picturesque, characteristic town Kinsale, Beata rented room and created several paintings which were exhibited in the town’s Peacock Gallery. She also met in there an Irishman - commercial fisherman - who later became her husband. Experience of an Irish landscape - years later - reflected in a series of paintings titled: Through the Storm – depicting roaring ocean and illuminating light braking through the stormy clouds.
Eventually, in 2012Beata moved to Niagara region and reestablished her ArtVeritas Visual Arts Studio where she developed collaboration with the local tourist-based businesses and cultural institutions such as wineries, the Pumphouse Art School and Yellow Door Theatre – offering specialty art workshops and taste of culture in Niagara region to tourists and locals. She also continued to develop new series of paintings such as Creation and Path, and was featured with success in the 13th Street Gallery, the Pumphouse Gallery, Jordan Gallery and Mikreations Gallery as well as her own ArtVeritas Studio. Additionally, Beata’s passion for music and dance, prompt her to become Zumba Instructor and to create her own playlists and choreographies. She offered her classes at the local community center.
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Over the lockdowns, Beata lost her specious, bright art studio space and - for a while – her art and other endeavors were forced on hold. Nevertheless, Beata’s strong ability of seeing light in the darkness, did not allow her to give up. During these sudden dark times that reminded her of the martial law during Communism era in Poland, she immediately created Veritatis Splendor - educational program for children based on a classical and value-based education with the specialty visual art projects, elements of music and preforming arts. She offered this program to a group of twenty-five children in a temporary rented space which she transformed into transitional art studio and a classroom.
Presently, Beata was assigned with long term commissions – restoring and transforming sacred art. She completed two sets of fourteen Stations of the Cross at the St. Denis parish in St. Cathrines, Sacred Heart of Jesus in Niagara Falls and series of holy statues for private homes and other churches. She also continues to be commissioned with paintings and murals as well as she creates her own series of paintings combined with written reflections and poems. Since the begining of 2023, Beata’s paintings are exhibited at the Konzelmann Winery in Niagara-On-The-Lake where in the collaboration with the Winery, she created cultural event involving an opera singer – Kinga Mitrowska and an art show entitled: Illuminating Light.
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Beata’s artistic approach is deeply spiritual. The light in her work speaks about the mysterious and transforming Presence of God. The textured and organic surfaces symbolize our human struggle with life circumstances and with ourselves. Illuminating through the layers of texture, light offers dramatic change, peace, and a sense of belonging. These symbolic images refer to her own spiritual and emotional journey as well as of the viewer.
Beata’s layered art techniques is being developed by her own, long years experimentations with various mediums and tools. She wanted to achieve visual depth and dimension that seems to penetrate through the interior. During art shows in the galleries, Beata’s work was compered to Turner for her development of light and to Caravaggio for her chiaroscuro effect. For Beata however, it’s important that her work will evoke within viewer’s soul contemplativeness of God who is Ultimate Artist and Creator of all things- visible and invisible.