Goshka (Malgorzata) Bialek
Goshka Bialek is a British-Polish sculptor, educator and researcher. She was born and educated in Poland, receiving M.Sc. in Economics, specialising in Economic Cybernetics and Computer Science from the University of Warsaw (1985). In 1991, she moved to the UK and received BA (Hons), MA and PhD degrees in Fine Art in Sculpture and Glass and Ceramics from the University of Sunderland.
Her notable public sculptures include "Echo of the Past" (2002) which was displayed in the Neville Screen at Durham Cathedral, becoming the first artist since the 16th century allowed to do so. The exhibition was covered in various publications and by the BBC. In 2007, she was invited to 1st International Sculpture Symposium in Tehran and her sculpture “Reflection” is displayed in a public park in Tehran. In 2008, her sculpture and following exhibition “It’s My Place” was presented as part of the Edinburgh Festival. In 2013, her two sculptures “Ghost” and “Gnome” were exhibited at Durham Lumiere Festival of Light. In 2015 her installation “Crucifixion” was exhibited at the 6th Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art Parallel program.
Bialek was a Visiting Professor at S.G. Stroganov State Academy of Arts and Industry in Moscow (2014-2016), British School of Design in Moscow (2015-2016), at Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków (2006-2011), Wrocław 2007 and Hong Kong 2008.
Her art explores themes of truth and perception, encouraging viewers to engage with concepts of reality through both aesthetic and technological means. Bialek's practice spans a variety of materials, with a focus on transparent and translucent mediums. This allows her to explore the internal spaces of her sculptures, creating works that invite interaction with both form and light.
She is experimental in her work, being unprepared to let the seeming limitations of a medium constrain what she can achieve. Thanks to her broad education, she can use technology as a medium in her research in sculpture. This questioning approach, always searching for the underlying truth of what is possible technically, reflects her conceptual aesthetic of where “truth” lies. Her technological research was used by NASA to develop new aerogel applications. Bialek's work in sculpture incorporates both traditional and innovative materials, such as semi-transparent concrete and salvaged items. Her practice integrates artistic expression with technological research, often creating installations that challenge viewers' perceptions.