Peter Jankowski
Love Hurts
Paintings in acrylic and oil
in the Budgeon’s display case, foyer Richmond Library
415 Church Street, Richmond
3 March to 8 June 2026
Review by Aukje van Vark
The Budgeons case in the Richmond library offers a unique chance for artists to show their work to a wide public over a longer time. The work exhibited is visible during opening hours of the library, but also when its closed, as the case is visible from the street.
This may sound insignificant, but in Peter Jankowski’s case this is an integral part of the theme he has chosen in his work and this mini-show.
Being not only an artist, but also a psychologist, he is affected by observed issues in society. One of these crossing the lines of both his occupations pertinent in the time we are living at the moment is: That what is ethical and aesthetic in Art, and therefore visible - is determined by CEO’s of companies that own media - printed and social, not the Artworld.
The advantage of the accessibility of image through the Internet starts to be negated, as it is leading to repression and fear of cancellation on platforms that spread visibility of Art. These decisions are not based on artistic merits, but on trivial details like subject matter, by a very wide brush wielded by a person with absolutely no knowledge of artistry, history or creativity - just puritanical mores.
In short - Art with any kind of nudity, will have you cancelled - and your of reaching public stopped.
Nudity is not acceptable because of fear of visibilty - not morals.
Love Hurts, acrylic & oil, 45 x 60 cm, by Peter Jankowski
Jankowski is upset by this, and in the work exhibited he creates a play on the shock human body parts can have on rigid views. His creations are not realistic, not entirely abstract either. He creates weirdly sensual shapes with details that are not just suggesting intimacy; they are dripping with it.
But is it a nipple?
No - its just a shape. No?
Heavenly Body, acrylic & oil, 45 x 60 cm, by Peter Jankowski
His titles reinforce his clear message - this is (not) a human body. It is, as the title says, a ’Heavenly body’, dripping with luscious fleshiness, an open mouth with licking tongue and a floating sphere. Not a breast.
His work ‘Love hurts’ clearly relates to an intimate practice that binds a fluid pink shape with heavy dangliy bits which are not body parts - just a hint to forms that let us associate and imagine. But it’s our own mind - no CEO can find fault.
It’s Complicated, acrylic & oil, 45 x 60 cm, by Peter Jankowski
His paintings ‘It’s complicated ‘ and ‘Femmingoes’ also play on the edge of imagery and imagination, incorporating lovely rococo flora and fauna forms, with a distinct hint to not remotely offensive physical representations, which would highly confuse a robotic sorting machine.
Femmingoes, acrylic & oil, 45 x 60 cm, by Peter Jankowski
Four paintings by an artist that who found a magnificent way of observing and playing with his critical mind looking for the loophole, while forcing a hidden side of this issue out into the open.
These paintings offer a highly enjoyable view, through one or two layers of glass!