Hanna Werkowicz - Nautilus

Title: “Nautilus” (2026)
Technique: Japanese ink, Japanese mineral pigments, metal leaf on cotton canvas
Framing: pine American box frame (floating frame). The work is ready to hang on the wall. It is signed on the back (sticker with signature).

Hello! If you are looking for a unique and unconventional painting created with a noble technique and feel drawn to the mysterious and dignified world of nature — you’ve come to the right place. I am an experienced artist and painter from Poland. I am strongly inspired by Japanese aesthetics and natural history illustrations from past eras. My paintings fit perfectly not only into private interiors but also into spaces such as boutique hotels, cafes, offices, beauty clinics, and studios. I include a certificate of authenticity with every work.

My direct inspiration is the Japanese nihonga technique. Paintings are created on cotton canvas or paper. The colors are ground by myself from Japanese mineral pigments suihi and homemade glue. I use Asian-style brushes commonly associated with calligraphy for applying the paint. The white color comes from gofun — Japanese oyster shell powder. I also paint with sumi ink based on water. The gilded fragments in my paintings are shalgrave metal — metal flakes that imitate gold. These metallic elements beautifully reflect light, even on cloudy days, and make the painting look slightly different from every angle.

A spiral clam of a boat (lodz) fills almost the entire composition, and the arms that emerge from it and the distinctive eye with a greenish iris give the animal an unexpected expressiveness and presence. The background is formed by organic, flowing shapes in blue and gold, among which pinkish corals with a sculptural texture branch out. The combination of precisely rendered anatomy of the lodz with a decorative, rhythmic arrangement of the background recalls the tradition of Japanese and European natural history illustrations, while also going beyond them toward a composition of its own monumental strength.

Hanna Werkowicz (born 1986, Warsaw) is a graduate of the Warsaw Theatre Academy and a makeup school. She has also worked as an illustrator, a creator of props for advertising and film, and has created about 500 artistic objects for clients around the world. The artist’s main inspirations are Japanese aesthetics and ancient natural history illustrations, and animals and plants are at the center of her artistic interests. In her works, beyond the external form, the artist aims to capture the spirit of the plant or animal, paying homage to the perfect beauty of nature. Her paintings achieve a balance between decorative form and the raw pigment, giving them a calm, contemplative character.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannawerkowicz_art/