Julia Gust-Trybuś - Ćmy - tryptyk

The Triptych by Julia Gust-Trybuś, titled “Ćmy,” is a moving composition executed in acrylic on three canvases, each measuring 40 x 60 cm. The work is kept in the aesthetics of figurative abstraction, saturated with deep existential unease and melancholy.
The painting depicts a group of anemic, almost ghostly figures immersed in an undefined, dense space. The titular 'moths' is a metaphorical take on people who seem drawn to faint light or to linger in suspension, deprived of clear facial features and individuality.
The figures are arranged at varying distances from the viewer, which gives the composition depth. Some silhouettes are clearer and larger (on the outer canvases), while others fade into the background, amplifying the impression of a crowd or collective loneliness.
Although the figures are static, the vertical brushstrokes in the background give the whole piece a vibrancy, reminiscent of falling rain, fog, or a fading memory.
The color palette is subdued, even austere, which creates a heavy, dreamlike atmosphere:
The dark silhouettes of the figures are surrounded by a lighter outline (an aura), which separates them from the background and makes them look as if they radiate their own faint light or reflect a glow from an invisible source.
The brightest point is located in the central part of the triptych, which draws the viewer's attention to the central figure, suggesting a pursuit of some center or goal.
Julia Gust-Trybuś makes use of the acrylic's characteristic ability to build texture:
Expressive strokes: The background is not smooth; you can clearly see vertical streaks that mingle with the silhouettes.
The texture of the canvas is visible, which adds a sense of rawness and materiality to the painting. The way the paint is applied is sometimes glaze-like (translucent), and at other times more opaque.
"Moths" can be read as a study of anonymity in the crowd and the human condition. The characters look in different directions, but they do not make eye contact. The title suggests fragility and an instinctive striving for light, which can be both a salvation and a danger. It is a work that invites reflection on impermanence, isolation, and the search for one's own identity in a gray, unclear world.

Julia Gust-Trybuś (born 1998, Grudziądz; currently lives in Bydgoszcz) – a contemporary young artist whose work balances between realism and dream. From her earliest years she has been fascinated by color and form, and today, for over a decade, she has consistently developed her passion for painting. In her works faces often appear — sometimes surreal, processed, but always full of emotion and mystery. A distinctive motif is the eyes — the focal point, through which the artist seems to invite the viewer into her own symbolic world.

Alongside portraits, Julia readily turns to nature subjects – landscapes, plant structures, and organic forms, which provide her with a breath and a counterpoint to the intensity of human emotions. Her painting combines subtleness with expressiveness, intuition with technical precision.

Each of Julia Gust-Trybuś's works is a moment of stillness—a subtle invitation to dialogue with color, emotion, and imagination. Her paintings move the viewer, invite reflection, and reveal more than meets the eye at first glance.

Member of ZAP (Association of Visual Artists).

Julia has been painting for years, and many of her works have already found an audience, unfortunately without being photographed beforehand.

Julia is the author of solo and group exhibitions, and her works adorn private collections at home and abroad.