Emma Kielczynska: Biography

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I grew up in the countryside near Sedgefield on the Garden Route where I received the Cultural Scholarship to Oakhill High school. I moved to Cape Town where I attended The Ruth Prowse School of art.  I majored in Printmaking and graduated in 2007 with distinction and the class prize. While at Ruth Prowse, I had the position of technical assistant, helping students in the classes below me.
In 2008, I began work at Warren Editions as a Printmaking assistant under master printmaker Zhane Warren, helping with the technical side of creating plates and printing editions for a number of well-known artists such as Anton Kannemeyer, Brett Murray, Tom Cullberg, Sanelle Aggenbach, and Michael Taylor. It was here that I gained invaluable experience and knowledge of a working in a professional print studio. It was also here that I was introduced to Monotypes.
After Warren Editions, I worked in Gabriel Clark Brown’s studio, printing editions of  new and existing plates. I also assisted with the technical creation of two of Christiaan Diederick’s series of etchings, ‘Planetary Platitudes’ and ‘Wisdom of Dragonflies’- I editioned both of these series singlehandedly. 
I then started working in the film industry, as a Fabricator, making props for commercials. Here I learned the art of mould making, casting, working with a large variety of materials, and problem solving under pressure.
I decided to leave the film industry after I became pregnant, as the long hours and stressful environment were not conducive for motherhood. I moved to the suburb of Capri in the Southern Peninsular, and it is there that I have set up my studio, and am finally concentrating on my own artistic career. 
I have been exploring monotypes for the past 5 years. I like to use the tactile surfaces of everyday things as unconventional printing surfaces.  I am particularly fascinated by different weaves and the way they come apart. . When making my work, there is a continuous process of experiment, responding to the constant stimuli of the human experience, be it Global, cosmic or the interior personal monologue which then coalesces into the perfect moment to stop, and to be finished with the artwork.
I held the position of part time printmaking assistant at The Ruth Prowse school of Art in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
I was a Sasol New Signatures finalist in 2016 and 2018

Exhibitions:
•    2008- group exhibiton at Salon 91, Cape Town
•    2008- group exhibition at White House, Plettenberg Bay
•    2012- group exhibition with Yogi De Beer and Lesley-Ann Hoets at Langkloof Studio, Hout Bay
•    2015- online exhibition, State of The Art, Cape Town
•    2016- Sasol New signatures Finalists exhibiton, Association of Arts, Pretoria
•    2017- Distill Motion Group exhibiton at Smith Studio
•    2018- Sasol New Signatures Finalist exhibtion, Association of Arts, Pretoria
•    2018- TEDxCapeTown, Pause and Effect
•    Work currently exhibited at Knysna Fine Art