On behalf of the artist and organisers

we would like to invite you on the exhibition:

Maria Kaleta

Together

The opening ceremony will take place at 09 march, 6pm - 9pm

in the Willesden Gallery

95 High Road, Londyn

NW10 2SF

The exhibition will be open to 18.03.2017

Mon to Fri 9am - 8pm

Sat and Sun 10am - 5pm

The exhibition is under patronage of Intetnational Print Triennial Socity in Krakow

The “Together” exhibition by Maria Kaleta

"Together" is a follow up to my 2015 "Identity & Coexistence” exhibition and concludes my reflections on life at the meeting point of different cultures and traditions. In "Identity & Coexistence" I focused on our identities and indissoluble need to understand one’s own place in today’s increasingly complex world. The works presented this year are a summary of my experience of living in London’s multicultural society and the resulting belief that a happy, peaceful future can only be achieved by coming together.

How to build ourselves a better future is a hot topic. The last 12 months have witnessed the breaking down of communities and an increase in protectionism. Perhaps they show that tolerance and acceptance for new cultures must be mutual and changes to how our society functions should be scrutinised in the context of its own history and tradition.

Yet change is inevitable and while it is natural to fear the unknown, it is ignorant to reject something you know little about and refuse to investigate. It is disappointing that the increased virtualisation of our lives and corresponding access to any and all information is instead creating the "filter bubble" and "fake news" phenomena.

Improving the interconnected and globalised world of today for future generations will require cooperation with others. We ought to get better at identifying and learning from each other’s strengths and concentrating on what unites us, not on what divides us.

The artworks utilise an array of printing techniques - some are prints on acrylic, others on 100% cotton paper with the use of pigment ink, drawing blocks and others. A few works from "Identity & Coexistence" make a deliberate reappearance, albeit in a different spatial arrangement.

The exhibition is accompanied by two catalogues – "Identity & Coexistence" and "Together".

- Maria Kaleta

Maria Kaleta, painter and graphic artist, graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan, Poland, Department of Painting, Graphics and Sculpture in 1988 and the National College of Arts – Exposition and Display. Maria’s work includes oil and acrylic paintings on canvas, drawings, pastels, traditional printmaking, computer graphics and installations.

Her art works have been exhibited all over Europe, as well as Russia and Latin America. She lives and works in London where she exhibited at The Mall Gallery, La Galleria Pall Mall, The Menier Gallery, The Espacio Gallery, Chelsea Old Town Hall, along with The Montage and others. She took part in about No170 group and solo exhibitions and has received several awards. Her pencil sketches of London architecture are regularly published in “Nowy Czas” (New Time) London cultural magazine.

During the PV around 7.30pm, there will be a short concert of traditional songs by Zosia Bernad a very interesting young artist from Poland.

She will sing traditional Polish songs from different regions of Poland using old techniques of singing.

Zosia Bernad

From 2003 she has concentrated on singing traditional Polish songs. She is a member of the International School of Traditional Music.

She has taken part in many festivals in Poland and abroad such as KODY, The Oldest Songs of Europe, Warszawska Jesień, Phil Grobi in Clermont – Ferrand and the Umlaut Festival in Paris. She took part in many musical projects including traditional and experimental music and released her first album last year, Traditional Songs of the Lublin Area.

In the programme there will be traditional songs from the Lublin area, as well as ritualistic songs of Christmas, christenings and weddings. There will also be lyrical songs about unhappy love.

The main aspect of these songs is the extent of their scale and rhythm.