Annie Sliwka, a French artist, discovered her passion for lacquer while preparing for higher education in the arts. This medium instantly gripped her soul, marking the beginning of a profound artistic journey. Sliwka’s work is a testament to her innate sensitivity, serving as the beating heart behind her creations.
Her lacquers are a dance of extraordinary poetic imagination, shrouded in metaphorical beauty that tantalizingly reveals without fully exposing. Picture soft iridescent lights, gold-laminated surfaces adorned with precious rains, and voluptuous quivering—a cascade of successive metaphors that unveil infinite beauty, akin to the crystal of the soul.
Sliwka’s illustrious career boasts an impressive collection of accolades, including twenty-nine prizes, four of which are international. She achieved the prestigious Great Gold Medal for Art Professionals in 2020 from the Mondial Art Academia, a Franco-Canadian
Born in Paris in 1946, Annie Sliwka honed her craft at the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Appliqués in Paris, shaping her into the multifaceted artist she is today. Currently residing and working in the picturesque Dordogne, Sliwka is not confined to the title of a painter in the medium of lacquer; she is also a designer, poet, pianist, and a former lyric soprano.
Sliwka’s musical prowess echoes through her past as a soloist with the Paris Orchestra, where she graced stages in Israel, the USA, Germany, India, and Japan. Collaborating with prestigious conductors like Daniel Barenboïm, Mstislav Rostropovitch, Pierre Boulez, and Seiji Ozawa, she shared the limelight with divas such as Jessie Norman. Fourteen years of vocal performances alongside these luminaries solidified her place in the world of music.
In 1998, during the Year of France in Japan, Sliwka was selected for a special exhibition at Sakurai. Fourteen paintings adorned the space, capturing the attention and enthusiasm of Japanese lacquer experts. Master Toshihiko Isa, in particular, became enamored with Sliwka’s glazes, luminous transparencies, and the three-dimensional space her lacquers inhabited. This marked the beginning of a connection that would see Sliwka as a personal guest of Master Isa, sharing her creations in both Kyoto and Tokyo.
Sliwka’s artistic footprint extends globally, with exhibitions in the USA, Switzerland, Italy, Russia, China, and of course, her native France. Galleries, Espace Pierre Cardin, and the Arche de la Défense have all hosted the magic of Sliwka’s creations.
Her wall of recognition is adorned with some gold medals, including the Medal of French Cultural Merit and the Grand Gold Medal of Art Professionals in 2020. The latter, bestowed by an international jury for the Mondial Art Academia, Franco-Canadian, adds a crowning glory to her already illustrious career.
Annie Sliwka’s art is a conversation with the soul—an exploration of the ethereal through the tangible. Each piece, a symphony of lacquer, tells a story that transcends words, inviting viewers into a world where beauty and imagination intertwine in an unspoken dialogue.
