The exhibition titled “PERSONA” is a unique presentation where the portrait transcends the traditional boundaries of depicting the likeness of a real person. The models assume various roles that were conceived in the creator’s imagination. Each is presented in a specific style, enhanced by makeup that brings out diverse characters. As viewers look at these portraits, they may wonder who the people posing for these extraordinary creations genuinely are. However, regardless of their identities, their poses, gestures, and glances convey universal truths about human emotions and experiences. Through their work, the creator leaves a trace of their own feelings and soul, showing that each portrait contains a part of them.
This reflection leads to more profound questions about our identity. Will we be left without a proper face when we shed all maskstylisationsations? Walking through the exhibition, the viewer may ponder their own life. One can feel melancholy and reflection in a dark room where sun rays pierce through the lace curtains. Flamenco, depicting fall and despair, also carries hope born from pain. The sadness shown in these portraits can be beautiful, revealing its depth and emotional complexity. Though it may seem harmless, an innocent gift can lead us astray. The geisha, in turn, appears as a delicate doll, easily shattsymbolising the fragility and transience of beauty.
Photography Anna Makselon Patoń
Model Marcello
Hair & Make up/ Design Anna Makselon Patoń
Artist Anna says the “PERSONA” exhibition presents artistic portraits and invites viewers to reflect on human nature, emotions, and the truth hidden behind everyday masks.
Photography Anna Makselon Patoń
Model Anna Gowarzewska
Hair & Make up/ Design Anna Makselon Patoń
Anna Makselon Patoń, an artist, poet, and photographer, resides in Katowice and is originally from there. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow in 2000. Early in her career, she was the artistic director for the “Greens” Association, overseeing ecological festivals and competitions. In 2003, she served as an exhibit organizer at the Museum of the History of Katowice’s “Galeria Magiel” in the Nikiszowiec district. Currently, she focuses on creating individual photography projects, often integrating poetry as ekphrasis.
Photography Anna Makselon Patoń
Model Marcello
Hair & Make up Anna/Design Makselon Patoń
Her art reveals visions of unconventional beauty, capturing the essence of human beings in various aspects and emotions of life, primarily through portraits. From 2010 to 2021, her artistic activity was halted due to a chronic musculoskeletal disease. Despite this, she discovered photography as a medium to express herself, allowing her to work up to two hours at a time before editing her work while lying down. Over the past two years, she has produced numerous intriguing series, eagerly awaiting exhibition.
Photography Anna Makselon Patoń
Hair & Make up/ Design Anna Makselon Patoń
LADY MOTH
I dedicated the most time to this photograph, a conglomerate of extreme and intense emotions associated with an unfolding drama. It is a drama unnoticed, without verbal constructs, affirming the conviction that life is an absolute value. I invite you to read the poem dedicated to this photograph by Anna Makselon Patoń.
Lady Moth
My insignia are moths…
wardrobe assistants
of the queen with a marble smile
Seasoned in battle
by pain and darkness
half-alive in ashes
I seek the light
To every lantern lit for me
moths flock
with which dressed
in festive attire,
I become the luminous queen of life.
Photography Anna Makselon Patoń
Model Marcello
Hair & Make up/ Design Anna Makselon Patoń
The photograph titled GIFT (golden apple) was chosen for several reasons, here they are:
- I love symmetry.
- I enjoy watching nocturnes.
- I learned the talent and unique skills of the model posing for this photo.
The strong points of the photograph, defined by the warm “spots” created by the face and the hand holding the apple, dictate how the picture is read. I love images where the eyes and the way of looking are the keys, the essence of communication between the photographer and the viewer. I admire photographers who use the medium, in this case, the model, to create the seed of an image in an otherwise space. I must mention that a model must be a speeding particle of thought functioning between the photographer’s ears. Being a model is extremely difficult and demanding; it involves thousands of hours of hard work, humility, the ability to listen, and the readiness to cross previously unknown boundaries. I am full of admiration for the photographer’s skill in inviting people to collaborate. Please evaluate the photograph along with its accompanying poem by Anna Makselon Patoń.
Gift
Be careful with what is given to you. By accepting it, you will have to taste how it feels… They will lure you with riches of spirit or matter to take your being. Beware of poisoned apples. They are impeccably beautiful…
Story by Anna Makselon Patoń
Photography Anna Makselon Patoń
Model Nina Kwaśniewska
Hair & Make up Anna Makselon Patoń
