About the Artist
Karolina Howorko
Karolina Howorko
Karolina participated in numerous international exhibitions, theatrical productions, and film projects, including the Amsterdam Light Festival (installation – “The Cracks”), Venice Biennale, and many exhibitions.
She is the recipient of numerous awards and scholarships (including the Foundation Bettencourt Schueller scholarship – “Innovation & Savoir-faire”, residencies in Mexico and Colombia). A common theme in her work is a dialogue with the viewer’s imagination, their moods, memories, and expectations, as well as confrontation with current issues.
Karolina’s artworks and projects have been published in numerous media and publications including Architectural Digest (France, Italy, Spain, Poland) and Dwell (United States), Living Corriere, Never too Small, Design Alive and many more.
From 2019, she has been leading her creative studios in Amsterdam, working as an Artist and Designer.
For Karolina’s interior architeture, set design, spacial design please check www.studiohoka.com
EDucation
– Master degree at Ecole nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
– Master degree at Ecole nationale supérieure d’architecture de Paris-Malaquais (previously part of Beaux-Arts de Paris), Paris, France
You can watch a video of my artworks, beautifully captured by the talented photographer Lee @secjulee, filmed in my studio in Amsterdam.
‘My work is a vessel to celebrate the ephemerality of existence, encouraging a deeper appreciation for the simplicity and imperfection that surround us.’
ARTIST’S VISION:
My artistic vision is to bridge the gap between the tangible and the intangible, physical and digital, weaving a tapestry of emotions through the interplay of geometry, line, and pattern. I envision a world where innovation thrives, as digital art seamlessly merges with traditional painting, creating new dimensions of expression.
Inspired by the architectural shape and subjects that matter to me I aim to create art that resonates with viewers. My vision embraces a sense of minimalism, where simplicity reveals profound depth, inviting audiences to delve into their inner selves.
My vision is to engage the audience with imagination, memories, and emotions. I am an explorer of the realms where language, abstraction, and painting merge, crafting sculptural architectural shapes with an improvised rhythm.
As an artist, I am deeply intrigued by the beauty of decay and the essence of impermanence. I embrace the concept of disappearing, where the imperfections of time reveal themselves as cracks that add character to the fabric of existence. In these moments of vulnerability, I discover a profound truth—an enduring light that radiates from within, illuminating the journey of each being.
Past selected awards, lectures, and exhibitions:
- Art. Inspirations – Group Exhibition
Gallery of the Michałowice Municipality (Multimedia Hall)
Al. Powstańców Warszawy 1, Reguły, Poland
April 11–30, 2025 - Art Zone – Group Exhibition
Służewiec Horse Racing Track, Warsaw, Poland
September 5–8, 2024 - Night of Museums 2024 – Group Exhibition
Defabryka, Duchnicka 3, Warsaw, Poland
May 18, 2024 - Artshow Events – Group Exhibition
Kamienica Karskich, Wiejska 19, Warsaw, Poland
March 2–3, 2024 - Rotterdam Art Week – Group Exhibition: Unity in Diversity
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
February 2–3, 2024 - UN/FAMILIAR – Group Exhibition
Fox Yard Studio, Stowmarket, United Kingdom
January 19 – February 1, 2024 - Kobieca Strona sztuki-the Feminine Side of Art – Group Exhibition
Defabryka, Duchnicka 3, Warsaw, Poland
December 2023 - Przygodzice Art Biennale – Group Exhibition
Antonin, Poland
August 12, 2021 - Kobieca Strona sztuki -the Feminine Side of Art II – Group Exhibition
Duchnicka 3, Warsaw, Poland
December 7, 2020 – January 23, 2021 - Installation: “Flower Totems” – XVIII Festiwal Otwarte Ogrody
CKiO Podkowa Leśna, Poland
June 10–12, 2022
Part of the annual cultural garden festival “Miasto Ogród Podkowa Leśna.”
Festival Website - Divine Feminine– Group Exhibition
Amsterdam House of Arts & Crafts, Oudeschans 21, Amsterdam
December 11–12, 2021 - 6th Exhibition of Architect-Painters – Group Exhibition
Société Historique et Littéraire — Polish Library in Paris
Paris, France
August, 2021 - Amsterdam Light Festival
“The Cracks” – Light Installation
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2019–2020 - COLCOA Film Festival
Shortlisted for the design of a new statuette
Los Angeles, United States
2021 - “God of Carnage” – Scenography for a theater play
Théâtre Perdu
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2019–2020 - Solo Performance
Veronica Gallery
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2018 - See & Say – Group Exhibition
Featuring top emerging Polish designers and creators
KTR Gallery, Warsaw, Poland
2017 - “Barbe Bleue” – Group Exhibition
With Laura Williams and Claire Muchelli
Le Chêne, Villejuif, France
2016 - “When the Waves Break” – Set Designer and Art Director
Short film by Cintia Taylor
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2016 - Solo Performance – Kulturzentrum Lagerhaus
Bremen, Germany
2016 - Bettencourt Schueller Foundation Scholarship
Innovation & Savoir-faire
Paris, France
2016 - “Lady Aoi” – Scenography for a theater play with Yael Haber
La Cartoucherie
Paris, France
2016 - Scholarship “EU CONNECT Brazil”
São Paulo, Brazil
2015 - Bizarre Sound Creatures – Group Exhibition
Dutch Design Week
Eindhoven, The Netherlands
2014 - Biennale of Architecture Morocco Pavilion, Venice, Italy
2014
Worked with Kilo Architectures on research, visuals, and a 3D-printed model exhibited in the Fundamental(ism) show. - “Litho aux Frigos” – Group Exhibition
Galerie l’Aiguillage, 19 rue des Frigos, 75013 Paris, France
May 11–24, 2010
Group show featuring 10 lithographers.
Exhibition Info - “SKETCH” – Architectural Drawing – Group Exhibition
New York, USA
2013 - Concours de Croquis – Winner
Tapis Rouge Rue Visconti, Paris, France
2008
Winner of the sketching competition organized by Rue Visconti.
More Details
Artist Lectures:
- On the integration of art, architecture, and technology in physical and digital spaces
UNAM + Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico City, Mexico
2022 - On working with light as an artistic medium
School of the Arts – Amsterdam University of the Arts
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2020
- On the integration of art, architecture, and technology in physical and digital spaces
current and upcomingAnd selected awards, lectures, and exhibitions:
- Group Exhibition “Kobieca Wizja Koloru” during- the Night of Museums
Venue: Defabryka, ul. Duchnicka 3, 01-796 Warsaw
Dates: May 17 – June 27 2025
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Keep in touch
Why painting? What draws you to this medium?
Painting is my language of intuition. It allows me to work directly with emotion and memory, bypassing logic and narrative. There's a physicality and immediacy to painting—each brushstroke is a record of movement, thought, and energy. It becomes a meditative yet raw form of expression.
Why abstract painting in particular?
Abstraction opens up space for ambiguity, which I find deeply poetic. I’m fascinated by the idea that something without clear form can still evoke powerful feelings or memories. Abstract painting lets me explore rhythm, structure, and impermanence without being confined to representation. It’s less about the object and more about the experience.
What techniques do you use in your paintings?
I primarily work with acrylics for their immediacy and versatility. I often layer, scrape, and use non-traditional tools to build up textures or remove them again—almost like carving the image out rather than painting it on. My background in architecture informs the spatial structure in my compositions, giving the work a kind of built-up depth.
How would you describe your artistic practice?
I explore the realms where language, abstraction, and painting merge, crafting sculptural architectural shapes with an improvised rhythm. My work bridges the tangible and intangible, weaving emotions through geometry, line, and pattern
How can people view your work or get in touch?
You can explore my portfolio at howorko.com and follow my latest updates on Instagram @ka.howorko. For inquiries, feel free to email me at hello@howorko.com
What themes inspire your work?
I'm deeply intrigued by the beauty of decay and the essence of impermanence. I embrace the concept of disappearing, where the imperfections of time reveal themselves as cracks that add character to the fabric of existence.