Monika Zurowska as Monnci Art at the “ICON – Sacred Gaze” exhibition at the Diocesan Museum in Tarnów presented her icon Our Lady of Kazan – personal interpretation. The exhibition opening took place on 4 December 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at the Diocesan Museum in Tarnów. The exhibition presented icons created by iconographers from the Association of Icon Lovers “Beauty of the Icon”.
The curator of the exhibition was Fr. Director Piotr Pasek, Director of the Diocesan Museum in Tarnów. His curatorial supervision emphasized the spiritual, artistic, and museum character of the exhibition, guiding viewers toward contemplation, silence, and an encounter with sacred art.
Participating in this exhibition was a deeply meaningful artistic and spiritual experience for me. Presenting my icon in the space of the Diocesan Museum in Tarnów was especially important, as this place naturally brings together history, sacred art, tradition, and the spiritual presence of the image.
Monika Żurowska Monnci Art at the Diocesan Museum in Tarnów
The “ICON – Sacred Gaze” exhibition was dedicated to the icon as an image of spiritual presence, silence, and prayer. The exhibition presented works created in the spirit of tradition, prayer, and deep spirituality, inviting viewers into contemplation and inner encounter.
As Monika Żurowska — Monnci Art, I had the pleasure of being one of the participants in this exhibition. I presented the icon Our Lady of Kazan — personal interpretation, created with respect for iconographic tradition and the symbolic language of the icon.
“ICON – Sacred Gaze” — an Encounter of Art and Spirituality
The “ICON – Sacred Gaze” exhibition at the Diocesan Museum in Tarnów brought together iconographic works that revealed the diversity of artistic sensitivity and the depth of the icon tradition. It was an event that combined sacred art, spirituality, tradition, and personal creative experience.
For me, participating in this event was an important moment in my artistic journey. An icon is not merely an image to me — it is a space of light, concentration, and presence. That is why presenting it in a sacred museum space was an experience deeply aligned with the character of my work.
Our Lady of Kazan — Personal Interpretation
At the exhibition, I presented the icon Our Lady of Kazan — personal interpretation. This is one of the most recognizable Marian images in the tradition of Eastern Christianity. In my work, I preserved respect for the canonical composition and the spiritual character of the image, while giving the icon a personal dimension through the modelling of light, colour harmony, and hand-crafted gilding.
The icon was created using the traditional technique of egg tempera on a lime wood panel, with 24K gold leaf. In this work, gold is not merely decorative — it is a bearer of light and a symbol of spiritual reality. Subtle tonal transitions, the calm gaze of the Mother of God, and the presence of the Christ Child create a focused, quiet, and contemplative composition.
Hand-Painted Icon by Monnci Art — Tradition, Light and Gold
In my work as Monnci Art, hand-painted icons hold a special place. They are created with deep attention to technique, symbolism, and the spiritual dimension of the image. Working on an icon requires patience, focus, and humility before tradition.
In the icon Our Lady of Kazan, the harmony of colour, the gentleness of the gaze, the quietness of the form, and the nobility of gold were especially important to me. Every detail — from preparing the ground, through layers of egg tempera, to the gilded halos — was part of the process of bringing out light and spiritual presence.
Exhibition Opening at the Diocesan Museum in Tarnów
The exhibition opening, held on 4 December 2025, was an opportunity to meet viewers, iconographers, and people interested in sacred art. The curator of the exhibition was Fr. Director Piotr Pasek, whose presence emphasized the significance of the event and its connection with the spiritual and museum dimension of the icon.
Photographs from the event show the atmosphere of the meeting, conversations around the icons, and the presence of the audience in the museum space. For an artist, such a moment is particularly meaningful — the work leaves the studio and begins to exist in dialogue with the place, the light, other artworks, and the viewer’s gaze.
Monnci Art’s Participation in the Icon Exhibition in Tarnów
Participating in the “ICON – Sacred Gaze” exhibition was an important confirmation of the direction in which my artistic work is developing. As Monika Żurowska — Monnci Art, I combine traditional iconographic techniques with a personal sensitivity to light, colour, and silence.
Presenting the icon Our Lady of Kazan — personal interpretation at the Diocesan Museum in Tarnów was not only an exhibition event for me, but also an experience of encounter — with sacred art, tradition, viewers, and the spiritual dimension of the icon.
Summary of the “ICON – Sacred Gaze” Exhibition
Monika Żurowska as Monnci Art at the “ICON – Sacred Gaze” exhibition at the Diocesan Museum in Tarnów presented the icon Our Lady of Kazan — personal interpretation. The exhibition was dedicated to the icon, spirituality, and tradition, and for me it became an important stage in my artistic journey.
I am grateful that my icon could be shown in such a unique space and become part of an exhibition that invited viewers into silence, contemplation, and an encounter with the beauty of sacred art.
