In Spring 2027 Horsham Museum & Art Gallery will hold an exhibition of portraits by Sussex artist Mariusz Kaldowski. Mariusz will be creating the artworks throughout 2026 and will be using people from Horsham and the surrounding communities as the portrait subjects. We are currently seeking volunteers who would like to take part.
Mariusz is a regular feature in the Sussex and South-East art scene, and many will already be familiar with his landscape paintings. Since 2009 he has created a series of studies capturing National Trust houses and gardens and has exhibited at nearby properties including Nymans, Clandon Park and Chartwell, amongst others. Although his landscapes are distinctive for their bright colours, his approach to portraiture is quite different and is primarily monochromatic. Black and white ink is drawn directly onto off-cuts of cardboard, but he retains the imperfections, raw edges and spirit of this material. For some pieces a little colour is added in acrylic. Mariusz’s portraits explore the emotional force of each face, celebrating the lines and creases which have been earned through a lifetime of experience. Under the title, Traces of Human Existence, Mariusz’s portraits are defined less by traditional ideas of beauty and more by each face’s expressive qualities. Often the subjects of his portrait are older, where expressions and emotions have become more deeply etched into the skin. This he considers to be a truer representation of beauty.
The chance to have a portrait drawn by Mariusz is an unmissable opportunity for members of Horsham community. His portraiture has received great praise by those that have featured, including the Polish philosopher, Jerzy Prokopiuk and journalist, Ryszard Kapuściński, whose portraits he painted for an exhibition celebrating Polish writers, scientists and creatives in the 1990s. His commissioned works include portraits of the Olsen family which he produced for the offices of their business, Fred Olsen Cruises. Mariusz’s love of classical music has inspired him to create portraits of many great musicians including Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams. In 2010 a triptych portrait of Frederyk Chopin by Mariusz, provided the visual accompaniment for the Polish Radio Chamber Orchestra’s European tour, celebrating 200 years since the composer’s birth. The triptych was later bought by the Frederyk Chopin Institute and now hangs at the composer’s home, near Warsaw, Poland.
If you are interested in being featured in a portrait for the 2027 Mariusz Kaldowski exhibition, then please email the museum to receive the full details: museum@horsham.gov.uk . Portrait subjects do not need to ‘sit’ for the drawing, but a photograph will need to be taken by Mariusz for him to work from.
Published: 13 Mar 2026