Ania
Lucid
Ania Lucid- Artist
I'm an artist, mother and an emigrant. I was born in Poland in 1977 and Iive in the UK. My artistic path started with becomming an art historian and the researcher of East African Sculpture. I wrote the book on Makonde art, travelled the world a bit and enjoyed combining my love for photography with writing and had some publications in travel and lifestyle magazines.
At the point of being near the completion of my Phd thesis and starting a career at the university I've made the decision of turning my life upside down and making my dream of being an artist myself true. I graduated from the Lodz Film School and that was the moment when Ania Lucid was born.
I created the project named "The Portrait Factory" initially working in Warsaw and then moving to London. I developed my style in portrait photography and enjoyed exploring every subject connected with femininity.
Becoming a mother in 2015 was a huge turning point when due to my son's additional needs I had to put my artistic career on hold. This experience is the most difficult and enriching journey. I had to redefine every aspect of my life. I went through a deep grief of myself as a photographer working with models on 1:1 basis and there was a point when I believed, that I will never be able to create again. During one of the famous lockdowns I experienced some kind of artistic explosion, when I understood that I have to create as this is as integral for my life as breathing, I just had to change the medium. After painting frescos all over the walls of my flat I started relearning to draw in an intuitive manner. It was a very healing and liberating process. I ditched all of the academic training that was deeply imprinted in me during long years of formal, academic education and started creating art for a therapeutic and spiritual reasons.
My love of textile started when I came to an idea of transcribing one of my drawings into an embroidery. I fell in love and I can't stop. Textile became the biggest surprise on my artistic path. It's very meditative and slow, completely opposite to what is the essence of photography with it's momentum that is shorter than a blink of an eye. It also allows me to explore all aspects of being a mother and a woman alongside caring for my son. If you reach this point while reading my story, I want to thank you for being here.
xxx Ania
Education:
2012 Gender Studies at Pholosophy Department, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun/Poland
2011 Diploma in Photography at National Filmschool in Lodz/Poland
2002 Masters Degree in Arts at Faculty of Arts, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun/Poland
Awards:
2002 Remer Award for the best Master’s Dissertation, Faculty of Arts, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Torun/Poland
2010-2011 Scholarship of the Ministry of Arts and Culture (Poland)
2008 First Prize in Viva Photo Awards in Portrait Category
Publications:
2003 book publication: „Nowoczesna rzezba ludu Makonde w Tanzanii” (Modern Makonde sculpture from Tanzania), Neriton, Warsaw/Poland
publications in Polish travel and life style magazines (text and photography)
publications in Cooltura magazine in London
Exhibitions
2024 „Bardo” Academy of Arts in Gdansk/Poland
2011 „Feminine” Wozownia Art Gallery in Torun/Poland
2011 „Lucid Dreams”, Galeria Miejska in Lodz/Poland
2006 „Tanzania in B&W”, Kamienica pod Gwiazda, Torun/Poland