About

All sorts of things in this world behave like mirrors.
Jacques Lacan

Rad Husak, a contemporary process-driven mixed media artist, was born in Poland in 1984. Based in London and with a Master’s degree from the Royal College of Art, his practice is firmly situated in the expanded field of print. Through extensive research and experimentation, Husak has developed his own process – defining the technique of pigment transfer combined with paint and hand-drawn elements on sandblasted aluminium, paper and canvas. His innovative approach and use of everyday materials enable him to continuously develop his technique.

By impressing images onto a variety of media, his work implies movement while referencing the trace itself. This new and dynamic approach to printmaking re-contextualises these by employing the glitch, digitally altering and manipulating the representation in the process.

In his work, Husak is attempting to bring order into a world that feels chaotic, beauty where there is ugliness. Taking humble aluminium, he transforms it into something which sparkles akin to stardust. Blasting through the outer layers of the metal, he reveals the reflective inner - heightening what was utilitarian and creating a sensation of something which is greater than itself. Husak is scratching at the divine, creating a moment of wonder. 

Within his figurative series, the timeless tradition of the nude is inherent. The strong influence of religious art of the Renaissance and High Baroque, with their intricate details, emotional depth and dramatic light, continues to be a source of inspiration. This fusion of traditional and modern creates a powerful visual experience that speaks to the enduring relevance of religious art today. 

The influence of Pop Art of the 1950s and 1960s is also evident in his practice. The vibrant colours and bold imagery characteristic of this style are used to convey a sense of energy and excitement. Husak believes that the fusion of different styles and influences is what makes art powerful and relevant. By drawing on various sources, he creates work that speaks to a wide range of people and experiences.

Long seduced by the ideal beauty of the classical world, Husak introduces us to the muse of the 21st century – a neo-romantic young and lithe man. In the image, we see the glitch - double exposure, the jolt and the jut; a digital imperfection, a stuttering. The translucent edge of one body blurs and melts into the next. Here lies the space created for the viewer’s imagination - it elicits movement, the trace.

Husak constructs his works by taking elements from nature, later fragmenting and rearranging them until they become something verging on the sublime, which may almost threaten to overwhelm the viewer. What was once so complete is transformed into studies of tone, shadow and form, whether expressed through figurative or abstract tonal imagery, print on sandblasted aluminium, paper or canvas.

Husak is an artist with a diverse practice and interminable energy. His work is sensitive, seductive and multi-layered, highlighting and emphasising the beauty of the male form. His work brings us a platform for redemption and meditation - the chance to be held within a sublime moment of movement as forms collide and intertwine.