Elżbieta (Elka) Kazmierczak

Labels by Ryan Moretta

Trapped. Scared. A darkness that stays, even when you tell it to go away.  Elka Kazmierczak is telling a heavy and dark story in her artwork, Old Beggar 2. Most of her work is based on the societal problems of domestic abuse and violence. With a background in mental health and counseling, she expresses feelings of fear and an overbearing reality through her work. In this artwork, there appear to be two figures, one dressed in black and the other in white. In the foreground, the black figure’s hand is extended open with an expectation-filled palm. The twisted white figure cowers away while bearing a sad and troubled expression. The red gradient background sets the artwork with a fearful tone, letting the figures reach out to the viewer and tell their story. 

For Kids:

What feeling does the color red give to you? How many figures can you see? What do you think the large, extended hand represents? Artist and professor Elka Kazmierczak would want to hear your answers to these questions. The artwork named Old Beggar 2 is small but carries a powerful message. The artist often uses her work to tell stories of disturbing problems that happen far too frequently in today’s world. Would you try to help this old beggar?