Karolina Gmiterek - Samsara

Author - Karolina Gmiterek.
Technique: acrylic on board.
Dimensions: the vintage wooden window frame: 69 x 67,5 x 5,5 cm
The artwork consists of four separate pieces, each measuring 29 x 29 cm. Arranged together, the total dimensions are 58 x 58 cm.
Condition of the frame visible on the photos, still adds to its charm.
Covered with varnish - protected against external conditions.
Colors of the painting may differ from the photos due to screen settings.
I enclose certificate of authenticity.
Carefully packed before shipment.

The piece was inspired by the geometric structure of an old window frame, which lends a distinct rhythm to the entire composition. The main protagonist of this story is a bird, symbolizing the human ego, which feels trapped and desperately searches for freedom. It steps into the abyss of a black square, treating it as a portal to liberation. However, the relentless wheel of Samsara, instead of bringing the longed-for freedom, continuously casts the creature into a completely new, unexplored phase of the cycle. The motif of a large, central cross against a black background is reflected and integrated within smaller structures inside each individual square. It serves as a visual metaphor for the trap of our own mind—the illusion that escaping into a new, external space will bring liberation. By carrying its own prison into the next dimension, the bird ensures that every exit merely leads back to another miniature reflection of the same, inevitable illusion. The ego gropes blindly for liberation, completely failing to understand its own nature. The bird attempts to flee from reality, whereas true liberation does not consist in escaping to another place, but in the annihilation of the one who flees—in the total dissolution of the ego.