Artist Magda Betkowska presents a boldly colorful collection of paintings created to honor and inspire women. See more of her portfolio by visiting her website.
“Alyssa-Taking no chances means wasting your dreams” mixed media on paper, 30 x 40cm
My name is Magda Betkowska. Born in Poland, I have been living in Switzerland since 2011. I had two passions growing up—one was art and the other was traveling. My first passion led me to study artistic education in Fine Arts, Faculty of Graphic Arts at the Institute of Art Education at Silesian University in Poland. The second passion contributed to the fact that after graduation I left my country. My goal was to explore the world beyond its borders and find my life path.
“Sheridan-Life is nothing without friendship” mixed Media on paper, 42 x 59.4cm
For several years I gave up art in favor of discovering my other skills and building a completely different career path. Several times I changed places of residence and work. At some point I asked myself, “Am I who I want to be? Do I feel fulfilled in what I do? Am I happy with myself?” The answer to each question was negative. I decided to find myself again.
“Charlotte-Happiness is the present moment” mixed media on paper, 30 x 40cm
I remembered one of my earlier wishes that one day I would like to do post-graduate studies in Art Therapy. I was looking for a school that would allow me to combine my work with the studies. In 2018, I completed one and a half years of further education in Art Therapy in Konstanz, Germany.
“Vaila-Don’t limit yourself by own thoughts” mixed media on paper, 50 x 65cm
The decision to start school again had a huge impact on what happened later in my life. I started to paint my Woman’s World as a therapy to overcome my own complexes and begin a path towards self-acceptance. Returning to my art passion allowed me to rediscover what gives me happiness and satisfaction and also understand that I don’t have to follow the lifestyle imposed by media and meet society’s expectations to feel happy and fulfilled.
“Ada-If there is no way, make it and go” acrylic on canvas, 50 x 60cm
My paintings show the beauty of every woman with all her imperfections. They suggest to the viewer that each one of them can be who she wants to be. Each of us has the right to choose our own path in life and follow our dreams. The uniqueness of every woman is her state of mind, which consists of self-esteem, authenticity, self-acceptance, positive attitude and self-love.
Artist Magda Betkowska with “Franka-No one is you and this is your superpower” mixed media on paper, 50 x 65cm
In my painting I reflect not only on the expression and emotion of the women I see around me, but also my own emotions, feelings and frustrations. I can say that in my paintings of women, there is also my story. The story of my successes and failures, my joys and sorrows, my transformations. That’s why my women are faceless. I want to give every woman the opportunity to identify with the stories. You are special, and you should never doubt it.
“Genesis-If you don’t love yourself, nobody will” mixed media, 10 x 15cm
My way of showing the diversity of beauty in each woman is to use eye-catching colors such as red, orange, pink and yellow. I believe color has incredible power in our lives. They influence our thinking, inspire our decision-making and impact our moods. I want to encourage women to express their femininity through color. We often hide ourselves in grays because we are afraid to show our true colors.
“Nylah-Hope is a passion for the possible” mixed media on paper, 30 x 40cm
Using different mediums such as acrylic paint, colored pens, and crayons allows me to express the stories I want to tell in the best possible way. If I’m being honest, my favorite tool is the pen, which is why most of my work is done on paper. What matters to me is the exact outline of my idea; after that, it’s just playing with color.
“Wera-Our aspirations are our possibilities” mixed media on paper, 30 x 40cm
I want to believe that my paintings convey the additional message that each person is special and unique. It is never too late to discover our hidden talents and be happy!
Magda Betkowska invites you to follow her on Facebook and Instagram.