Barbara Kobylinska

Artist Statement

I was born in Poland and educated at prestigious Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw where I earned my master degrees in Graphic Design and Costume and Stage Design.

In 1981 I sailed with my husband across the Atlantic and through the Caribbean on a small sailboat. Since then, I reside in United States and have been an art teacher; a children's book illustrator, a poster, puppet and stage designer; and finally, a sculptor.

Nature has been a dominant factor that has influenced and inspired my artwork. I feel and express my deep admiration for nature's wonders: organic, rich forms and abundant colors.

For over 25 years, I have worked in my Virginia Beach studio, creating large (4-6 ft.), colorful ceramics/mixed media creatures, and smaller fish, bugs and botanicals that mirror the natural world with an abstract, fanciful twist.

Being adventurous and inventive I am constantly looking to diversify my subjects and materials. As a result, I am working now on mixed media bugs series incorporating found objects and recycled metal pieces. I create my animal kingdom with humor and imaginative whimsy as my own interpretations of the natural world.

My large indoor/outdoor sculptures has been exhibited in many prestigious national art shows including SOFA WEST in Santa Fe, Chicago SOFA, US Botanic Garden in Washington, DC, Loveland Sculpture Show, Colorado, ArtPrize in Michigan, as well as, permanently aboard the Oasis of the Sea cruise ship, the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, Courthouse Galleries, Children Museum in Portsmouth, Va. Sentara Brock Cancer Center, Norfolk, VA. and various private collections in Poland and throughout the country.

"The noblest art is that of making others happy"
PT Barnum