What remains of the promises we made to ourselves when we were young? Agata Kus’s exhibition Promises (Obietnice) at the State Gallery of Art in Sopot is an emotionally charged exploration of growing up, memory and moments that take on new meanings over time. One of the most recognisable artists of her generation, Kus creates an intimate setting filled with nostalgia, personal associations and subtle tensions. The distinctive exhibition design is by Dorota Terlecka of Biuro Kreacja.
Agata Kus: painting as a visual diary
Agata Kus is one of the most compelling Polish painters of the younger generation. In her work, she often draws on familiar imagery from everyday life: film scenes, family photographs, things found online and seemingly trivial memories. She uses them to build layered narratives about growing up, memory and emotions that resurface years later. Her paintings resemble a visual diary in which personal stories intersect with experiences that many people share.
Her work is held in collections including those of MOCAK, Bunkier Sztuki Gallery and the National Museum in Gdansk.
Promises explores the desires, dreams and ideas that accompany us from childhood and often stay with us throughout our lives. Agata Kus examines turning points, the experience of growing up, the formation of identity and our earliest ideas about the future. In the paintings and drawings on display, she brings personal associations together with shared experiences, creating a space filled with emotion, nostalgia and questions about what remains of the promises we once made.
Alongside her latest works, visitors can also see large-scale pastels created especially for this exhibition. The curatorial concept is by Michalina Domoń.
Pink fabric in place of walls
Dorota Terlecka of Biuro Kreacja designed the exhibition, treating the interiors of the State Gallery of Art in Sopot as an integral part of Agata Kus’s narrative. Translucent pink fabrics suspended from ceiling to floor divide the space into intimate areas, leaving room for interpretation and inviting visitors to engage closely with the works.
Colour, light and the texture of the fabric change how the paintings are perceived, partially concealing them, filtering the view and revealing further layers of meaning.
The design gives each work a stage of its own, while visitors move from one scene to the next as though passing through fragments of memory. A particularly evocative section of the exhibition is devoted to drawings and sculptures in the form of cakes, recalling childhood rituals, significant occasions and rites of passage. Together, these elements provide a sensory, emotionally charged setting for Agata Kus’s painted narratives.
Agata Kus’s exhibition Promises is on view until 23 August 2026 at the State Gallery of Art, 2 Plac Zdrojowy, Sopot.
Exhibition design involves working with space, light and the pace at which visitors move through it, particularly when the aim is to guide them through an artist’s personal narrative. For similar projects, it is worth seeking specialist support. Find architects, interior designers and interior photographers in the PLNDesign.pl directory.
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