By Emily Haddad – Editor-in-Chief

If a picture is worth 1000 words, then Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) Senior Studio Art major Karolina E. Brodowicz has created a volume with her senior show entitled Portrait Mode. Her show will last from Nov. 19–Nov. 30, 2012. The work will be displayed on the 2nd floor of the Fine Arts Building, under the skylight beside the stairs. Brodowicz seeks to breathe life into vivid snapshot moments of life caught by a camera by highlighting character through acrylics.
Born in Lodz, Poland, Brodowicz began her journey into the arts early at age four by painting landscapes around her hometown. She moved to the U.S. at 15 and began painting still lifes and portraits. Working with live models and painting the human form in portraits captivated Brodowicz and became her specialty. She was included in the 2001 All-City Art Exhibit at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. During her last year at NEIU, the still, crisp beauty of photographs captured her imagination and inspired her to create the Portrait Mode series in bold, expressive brushstrokes. “Certain photos capture a person’s most essential attributes. I emphasize the nature, the attitude and bring forward that person’s story,” Brodowicz said.
Part of the inspiration for Portrait Mode was the very nature of short story collections by authors such as David Schickler, Alicia Erian and Anton Chekhov. “They are all different themes and characters, but they are united by being together in a volume and through the reader who reads them. [The] portraits will tell different stories visually, but they are united as people I know and by the viewers who will experience them.” The name, Portrait Mode, underscores Brodowicz’s dedication to portraying the human form as characterized through her own eyes. Other influences include Jacek Malczewski, considered the father of Polish symbolism and Boleslaw Jan Czedekowski, famous for his European portraitures.
Brodowicz will speak at her closing reception on Nov. 30, 6 – 9 p.m., and welcomes feedback and commentary about her work. Refreshments and drinks will be served.