Polish Artist Cezary Poniatowski Informs Celine's New Vision

In 2017, Polish artist Cezary Poniatowski created Untitled, a styrofoam sculpture that fed into themes surrounding 'nature, darkness, abundance, and viciousness'. Brutalist in appearance and abstractly cubist in approach, the monochromatic sculpture has recently been snapped up by Celine and placed in the brand's newly-renovated Amsterdam Flagship store, which will reopen this Spring in tandem with a solo exhibition from the artist debuting at Wschód gallery in New York. The timing is apparently a coincidence but ties between Poniatowski's work and the French luxury house run deeper than you think.

Creating work anchored in the dichotomies and contradictions of Soviet and post-Soviet Eastern Europe, Poniatowski’s Wschód show will see the artist burrow into flat surfaces to draw and sculpt his signature fetishistic forms that are then stuffed with foam to create moulds that bulge and lump anthropomorphically. However, the foam in question isn't repurposed because of the type of material it is, instead, the reason for its use feeds back into Poniatowski's interest in Soviet Eastern Europe. 'The foam's original use was for soundproofing in Communist social housing' notes the press release, before adding: 'the voluptuous sculptures reference the neoliberal abundance in the years that followed Soviet rule.'

Although such references and interests aren't necessarily synonymous with a brand like Celine, their choice in obtaining one of Poniatowski's sculptures points towards a deepening vested interest in the contemporary arts scene that's been bubbling away for some time. Take the brand's now famed Celine Art Project for example, an initiative that, since 2019, has overseen acquisitions of contemporary artworks for display in Celine stores around the world. At the time of writing, the project has grown to include over fifty artists, whose works inform everything from Slimane’s designs to the customer experience.

Speaking of the likeness shared in both Poniatowski's works and Celine, Piotr Drewco - founder of Wschód gallery - told SHOWstudio: 'With its vivid texture and subtle tones, Cezary Poniatowski's relief echoes Celine’s ethos of experimentation across materials and mediums. Standing in contrast to Hedi Slimane’s slick, modern silhouettes, I think this tactile artwork will bring a unique rhythm to Celine's Amsterdam store.'

Despite Poniatowski’s varied works nodding to histories of surveillance and voyeuristic imaginings - qualities which undoubtedly add layered meaning to the work - it's the artist's takings from a post-1989 soviet society, a period which has seen rampant, ritualistic anti-communist sentiment evolve into sudden, intense neo-liberality across the Eastern Bloc, that makes the artist's imposing sculptures stand out. Why? Because for as long as Putin continues his war on democracy in Eastern Europe, works such as Poniatowski's Untitled won't just resonate with Russia's past but their future, too. When the work is viewed against the backdrop of Russia's war on Ukraine, a former Soviet territory, Poniatowski's purpose as an artist isn't just rooted in the 'creative process', it's anchored in politics; a daring truth that, Celine are actively encouraging.