Michal Semczyszyn

I see a world full of existential distress. A world filled with uncertainty, restrictions, feelings of disquiet, longing, and regret. A world devoid of colour, desolated, bleak. I am obsessed with the need to find a true reason to live. My life has become a relentless search for meaning. I may be looking for something that does not exist, but I feel the imperative to do so.

My art is a diary. The evidence of my struggle. My testament. Each of my works documents my subjective experience and shows how I feel week on week as I try to find answers to existential questions and discover who I really am.

My process consists of two phases. First, I photograph individual elements from a set of
small, seemingly identical objects, like pins, wires, wooden blocks, or nails. Then, I create
abstract structures by meticulously multiplying and layering these photographs digitally in post-production.

It takes many attempts to construct the final composition. I create variations of the initial
theme hoping that one of them will reveal itself as a complete piece. I add, subtract and
displace elements until repeated patterns and textures form an image that reflects the world as I see it.

This process resembles the act of searching for meaning. I have to be methodical, focused, and persistent. I have to follow my instinct. Be willing to experiment. I have to start over and over again until I find a trace of something significant. Most likely, it will be something completely different than I anticipated.

I exclusively use the square format in my works. The square makes me think of a prison cell. There is a window just below the ceiling. Too high for me to reach. I can only see the sky - black at night, white during the day. It is a place where I have no choice but to look inside myself. I confront my doubts about purpose and meaning. And as the walls begin to close around me, I construct a new image.