Edna Baud

— urodzona w 1991. Artystka wizualna i dźwiękowa, absolwentka kulturoznawstwa na Uniwersytecie Marii Curie-Skłodowskiej w Lublinie. Mieszka i pracuje w Gdańsku. Laureatka Nagrody Sztuki im. Marii Anto i Elsy von Freytag-Loringhoven 2022, a także Nagrody Rektora w 12. Konkursie Gepperta 2016. Operuje motywami obecnymi w awangardowej tradycji: migawkowym zapisem prozaicznych zdarzeń czy „portretowym” ujęciem przedmiotów codziennego użytku. Przeplata cytaty z popkultury z fragmentami symboliki, odsyłającej do XX-wiecznej filozofii i historii kultury. W efekcie tworzy semiotycznie „gęste” obrazy, pełne wielowątkowych alegorii na kanwie połączeń zapomnianych znaczeń. Jej prace były prezentowane m.in. w Gdańskiej Galerii Miejskiej, Galerii Labirynt w Lublinie, BWA Wrocław oraz Fundacji Galerii Foksal w Warszawie.

I didn’t follow the traditional route of an art degree, and my background in cultural studies has significantly shaped my approach to art. It introduced me to a more analytical way of thinking, which informs the conceptual layers of my work. This academic foundation has led me to view art through a lens of distance, creating a poetics where emotion is present but often filtered through a critical or detached gaze. In my practice, the human being—with all their dreams, desires, and limitations—often appears entangled in intricate relationships with non-human actors. Technology is central to this entanglement. It operates simultaneously as a palette of tools at one’s fingertips and as a dense, sticky web in which we become trapped. This duality fascinates me. The constant friction between control and loss of control, agency and dependence, is something I try to capture. 

One motif that recurs in my work is language itself. Language is not just a vehicle for communication but an active, material presence in my art. I often use fonts and signs where the blackness of the text becomes a visual and physical form, existing on the same plane as the rest of the artwork’s reality. This reflects the fact that contemporary life is becoming more and more text-based. We increasingly experience the world through screens, captions, and codes. Artistic practice, for me, is a process of deterritorialization from the texts that confine us. Culture today operates largely in a “subscription mode.” Everything—our tools, software, and even ideas—exists within systems of access, often temporary and controlled by external forces. The things we rely on can disappear or be revoked at any moment if they cease to be profitable. This affects not only the way we consume but also the way we think and create. Our own thoughts and creations, once uploaded into the data cloud, can become part of this vast, controlled network. In this context, downloading data or reclaiming something from the cloud can feel like a revolutionary act, a way of asserting control. I view my art practice similarly—as a means of tearing pieces out from within the mouth of the beast and transforming them into something tangible and resistant.

Mystery plays a key role in my work. I’m drawn to the tension between what is seen and unseen, known and unknown. Veils are a recurring visual motif in my art, appearing in various forms—whether as literal drapes, clouds of smoke, or the indistinct outline of a figure. I draw inspiration from the ancient myth of the veil of Isis, a personification of mystery and nature itself. In the myth, Isis’s hidden face represents the ultimate, unknowable truth of nature: death. There is no single correct way to approach this veil; tearing it off leads to a destructive revelation, while ignoring it leaves one ignorant. The most profound strategy lies in the continuous play of revealing and concealing, a dynamic that resonates deeply with me and underlies much of my visual sensitivity.

As a female artist, I believe it is crucial to represent women beyond the narrow focus on physicality or emotionality, which are often the dominant lenses. I strive to depict women in roles that challenge traditional perceptions—whether they’re repairing railway lines, coding, or plotting schemes—seeking to bypass the patriarchal lens.

The text was written in collaboration with Romuald Demidenko (2024).

1Image: Edna Baud, Angel of Dusk, 2024, mixed media. Courtesy of the artist.
2Image: Edna Baud, Celestial Hum, 2023, acrylic on canvas, photo by Adam Gut. Courtesy of the artist.
3Image: Edna Baud, FLAMES, 2022, acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.
4Image: Edna Baud, HIPODROM, 2022, acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.
5Image: Edna Baud, In Circles, 2023, acrylic on canvas, photo by Adam Gut. Courtesy of the artist.
6Image: Edna Baud, MIZUTANI, 2017, acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.
7Image: Edna Baud, NEW SHOES, 2017, acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.
8Image: Edna Baud, THORNS, 2023, acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.
9Image: Edna Baud, Twin Flames, 2024, acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.
10Image: Edna Baud, Whispers, 2023, acrylic on canvas, photo by Adam Gut. Courtesy of the artist.