Professor of Fine Arts, graphic artist.
She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw in 1991 and currently leads a studio at the Department of Printmaking at her alma mater. Since 2015, she has served as the president of the Tadeusz Kulisiewicz Foundation for Scholarships and Awards. She is a recipient of numerous national and international awards, including:
Kochi International Triennial Exhibition of Prints, Japan (2006)
The Naka-Tosa Museum of Art Award, Japan (2009)
8th Polish Print Triennial Award, Katowice, Poland (2012)
She has curated many graphic art exhibitions, including:
IMPRINT – International Graphic Art Triennial in Warsaw
Polish exhibition Fusion – International Contemporary Intaglio Prints, Guanlan, China
Transgrafika – Polish Artists in the Mariusz Kazana Art Collection, Guangdong Museum of Art, China
Agnieszka Cieślińska’s graphic work belongs to the figurative tradition, often drawing on themes inspired by medieval and Renaissance art. Her compositions reference historical methods of representation and show admiration for the imagination of past artists in visualizing metaphysical beings and ideas. She primarily uses classical printmaking techniques.
Though her art is rooted in historical influences and traditional methods, it remains vibrant and relevant within contemporary artistic trends.
Throughout the centuries, abstract concepts, theological maxims, and philosophical ideas were expressed by merging image and text. The symbolic codes that emerged in early modern Europe—built upon illustrations and emblems—defined interpretative rules.
Referring to this legacy, Cieślińska drew inspiration from Iconologia by Cesare Ripa (1593), a renowned iconographic dictionary. She used Ripa’s allegorical representations as the foundation for her own artistic transformations. Another important source in her compositions is Kunstformen der Natur by Ernst Haeckel—microscopic illustrations of living organisms, which she repurposed as symbols of life’s biological mystery.
Focusing on the aesthetic aspects of Ripa’s personifications of virtues, Cieślińska designed an original set of figures that form a new system of concepts and symbols.
In her works, the artist combines botanical motifs with mechanical elements, creating a unique, surreal aesthetic. Prominently featured are meticulously illustrated flowers—resembling anemones or poppies—rendered with botanical precision reminiscent of antique tea atlases. Each plant is labeled with its scientific name, a hallmark of her style.
Cieślińska brings the tradition of emblematic and allegorical word-image constructions into the present, offering contemporary audiences a renewed perspective on historical visual culture.
She is a laureate of many national and international awards, including:
Kochi International Triennial Exhibition of Prints, Japan (2006)
The Naka–Tosa Museum of Art Award, Japan (2009)
