Chełmno, a town known for its many historical landmarks and referred to as the Polish Carcassonne is a destination frequented by artists. For the youngest ones, those are embarking on their adventure with architecture, Chełmno is a particularly rewarding subject for 'portraiture.' Its residents are well accustomed to seeing students around the town, contemplating the architecture of the historical buildings and representing it in their paintings and drawings. Future architects from all over the country flocked to Chełmno for the workshops that took place from July 8 to 18, 2024.
Lodz University of Technology students garnered a number of awards. Klaudia Wlazło won 1st prize in the painting category and 3rd prize for her graphic art. The Piotr Gawłowski First Prize for drawing was awarded to Milena Szudrowicz, the 2nd Prize for painting was awarded to Dominika Lizis who was also recognized with an honorable mention of the 3rd level for her drawings. Another TUL student, Zuzanna Królewiak, was awarded the 3rd prize for her paintings as well as the Special Prize. Zofia Szczerba's painting was distinguished with a 1st-level honorable mention.
Asked to share her impressions of the July creative experience, Klaudia Wlazło said: 'The drawing and painting open-air workshops in Chełmno were for us, students, not only an ideal form of developing our artistic skills, but above all, an event packed full with creative interactions between students from different universities, as well as plenty of good time spent in each other's company. After more than a week of working on drawings and paintings, we selected the ones we wished to have judged by a competition committee, and the tens of hours spent working over ‘the drawing boards’ were rewarded with diplomas and prizes such as professional-quality art supplies to further our artistic development.’
What is the most important takeaway from the plein air? ‘Unlike the drawing classes integrated into the degree curriculum, plein-air gives us complete freedom to choose artistic techniques that support our creative pursuits and develop our imagination and aesthetic sensitivity, which are of great importance to us. It also allows us to approach architecture from a slightly different vantage point, appreciate the small details that characterize it, the significant influence of the local context and, most importantly, draw our attention to the relationship between the human observer and the urban space,’ Klaudia said, adding, ‘Those few days spent in Chełmno, a town on the European Route Brick Gothic, had a huge effect on our perception of the space around us. We learned to appreciate the importance of light, texture, and color. They bolstered our need to create. The expedition was a perfect mix of solid artistic work, summer relaxation, and exciting adventure.