Adam Kłodziński | THE RITUAL

■ Curator's Note

The Ritual captures an authentic fragment of urban folklore deeply rooted in everyday street life. The painting portrays two close friends from the neighborhood, completely absorbed in the precise act of hand-rolling a cigarette. Within street culture, this is far more than a casual habit: it is a ritual, a shared daily practice that strengthens bonds and creates an atmosphere understood only by those who have lived within that environment.

Technically, the work combines the raw energy of the street with the artist's distinctive approach to dark surrealism. The faces of the two figures emerge from the folds of crumpled paper, gradually revealed from a deep velvet-black background through the careful orchestration of chiaroscuro. They are illuminated by an intense neon-green glow that amplifies the scene's mysterious and intimate atmosphere. Above one of the figures, a miniature origami bird wearing a crown appears as a symbolic guardian of the neighborhood hierarchy. The Ritual elevates an ordinary subcultural practice into a timeless reflection on ritual, belonging, and human connection.

■ About the PAPER CUTZ series

In the PAPER CUTZ series, the artist explores the boundary between the tangible and the imagined, transforming the simplest of materials, a sheet of paper, into a vessel for complex human emotions. The title refers not only to the physical medium itself, but also to the subtle yet painful paper cuts that life leaves on our psyche. Each figure emerges from a crumpled sheet of paper: through careful observation of its folds and a precise use of chiaroscuro, hidden faces and forms are revealed within the apparent chaos of its textures.

■ About the artist

Adam Kłodziński (MR.SOAPSKI)

Adam Kłodziński (aka Mr.Soapski) is a Polish contemporary artist whose practice exists at the intersection of painting, street culture, and dark surrealism. His work explores the relationship between materiality and emotion, transforming raw urban references into psychologically charged visual narratives.

In his recent body of work, PAPER CUTZ, Kłodziński moves beyond traditional portraiture by using crumpled sheets of paper as the foundation for each composition. Through a meticulous command of light, shadow, and airbrush technique, he reveals hypnotic, three-dimensional figures emerging from the folds. Rather than inventing his subjects, he discovers them within the paper's chaotic surface, turning accidental forms into emotionally resonant portraits. Each work reflects personal experience while addressing broader themes of identity, resilience, and the individual's relationship with contemporary society. Kłodziński lives and works in Poland.

■ Details

• Title: THE RITUAL
• Series: PAPER CUTZ
• Year: 2026
• Medium: Mixed media on canvas (spray paint, airbrush, acrylic)
• Size: 200 × 100 cm (approx. 78.7 × 39.4 in)
• Framing: Unframed. Stretched on wooden bars with gallery-wrapped, painted edges; ready to hang
• Includes: Certificate of authenticity signed by the artist
• Condition: New (consigned directly by the artist, one of a kind)

■ Guarantee

ART & DAY is an authorized dealer under a consignment agreement with the artist.

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