LOST FOR WORDS
Poland’s Contemporary Ceramics
“Lost for Words” is a guest exhibition at the 5th Latvia Ceramics Biennale, showcasing Polish contemporary ceramics by artists from the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design’s Ceramic and Glass Department in Wroclaw.
The title comes from the Polish expression “brak słów”, which stands for “speechless”, but can also be interpreted more literally as “struggling to find words”. This dual meaning reflects moments of powerlessness, when one’s arms drop in despair, as well as instances of awe that leave us breathless, when words fall short of expressing what we truly feel. In the face of such experiences, language often proves insufficient to convey the depth of emotion or understanding. When words fail, art becomes a powerful and universal form of expression, capable of communicating the intangible. Through images, forms, and symbols, art serves as a vessel of meaning, allowing viewers to engage in personal interpretation and experience emotional connection with what is seen.
The exhibition features works by Adam Abel, Jakub Biewald, Renata Bonter-Jędrzejewska, Magdalena Gazur, Łukasz Karkoszka, Mirosław Kociński, Krzysztof Rozpondek, Katarzyna Koczyńska-Kielan, Lidia Kupczyńska-Jankowiak, Magdalena Maros, Karina Marusińska, Przemysław Lasak, Weronika Lucińska, Marta Olejniczak, Joanna Opalska-Brzecka, Michał Puszczyński, Leri Papidze, Piotr Romiński, Bożena Sacharczuk, Weronika Surma, Joanna Teper, Marianne Wesołowska-Eggimann, and Dawid Żynda.
Organised by the Rothko Museum, the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Ceramics, and the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wroclaw.
Supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland, the Embassy of Poland in Rīga, Format, and Szkło i Ceramika.
Curated by Weronika Surma, Joanna Opalska-Brzecka, Valentīns Petjko, and Aivars Baranovskis.
On view at the Rothko Museum from 5 September to 23 November 2025.
Publicity image: Karina Marusińska, “Self-Destruction”, ceramics, synthetic materials, earth, ash, mixed media, diameter 75 cm, 2023, photo by Paweł Góral
