Malgosia Jankowska, originally from Poland, currently lives and works in Berlin. Her work, executed with impeccable technique, transports the viewer to a world where nature and humankind coexist in harmony. A fine example of this is her piece *Still Life* (2021).

However, in most of her works, the tranquillity conveyed by the setting seems threatened by the appearance of larger insects and snakes.

According to the artist, these creatures represent the constant danger that threatens peace, highlighting the fragile balance of our humanity.

At the other end of the spectrum, children represent the most innocent and naive aspect of civilisation: the hope for a better world.

Jankowska constructs her works using translucent and highly pigmented variations of watercolours and black, blue and red inks. Each image is carefully nuanced and shaded, playing with tones to create a sharp yet subtle effect.

The artist uses a fine brush to define the topography, the cottages and the graceful trees. These elements are depicted in great detail, whilst her characters are whimsical figures that blur and fade into the natural surroundings.

Each figure or group of people is almost hidden and obscured by the beautiful landscape, highlighting not only the pleasure of solitude, but also the psychological power of natural landscapes.

Jankowska builds the breadth and depth of her works through her ingenious use of ink tones, lending her illustrations an evocative and unsettling atmosphere, in which each piece captures a similar scene yet tells a story in its own right.

There is a sense of the uncanny in each work that captivates the viewer and challenges them to reflect on the story and the mysterious setting depicted on the canvas.