Sławomir Setlak is a contemporary Polish artist whose research unfolds across painting, sculpture, and ceramics. He completed his formal training at the People’s University of Lesser Poland, where he obtained a diploma in painting and ceramics under the supervision of A. Kijowski. He later continued his studies at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Rzeszów, specializing in sculpture in the studio of Professor Maria Górecka.
His pictorial production is rooted in contemporary figurative art, with a sustained focus on the emotional and inner dimension of the human figure. Setlak’s works are never conceived as simple portraits; through restrained postures, suspended gazes, and a carefully calibrated use of color, the artist seeks to convey the spiritual presence of his subjects, capturing moments of introspection, silent tension, and vulnerability.
A recurring element in his work is the dialogue between human figures and the natural world. Animals and organic presences are often introduced as figures of closeness, not as overt symbols, but as integral components of a shared emotional space. In this interplay, nature becomes a resonant environment, capable of reflecting and amplifying the inner states of the portrayed characters.
Setlak’s multidisciplinary background informs a pictorial language that is formally solid, attentive to volume and structure, yet imbued with an intimate and contemplative quality. His work stands at the intersection of figurative tradition and contemporary sensibility, proposing a visual language that privileges attentiveness, stillness, and depth of perception.
