Paul Kowalewski
Chicago, IL
Visual Art
Paul Kowalewski was a roofer for over 25 years; although he excelled at his job, the quasi-neurotic indulged in one of the unsuspected hazards of the dangerous trade: slow and steady, the world of drugs and alcohol consumed him. For decades, he wandered aimless and anesthetized. As corrupt behavior and drugs walk hand in hand, Paul’s transgressions intermittently interrupted his freedom, marking a path that would eventually lead to seven years in federal prison. Locked in the obscurity of his cell walls, Paul came to the realization that everything he had known, his notions that somehow life would magically fall into place, was nonsense. While out in the world, cursed with addiction, he isolated himself; while isolated in prison, blessed with time, he re-imagined himself and the world. No longer able to numb the emotional chaos within him, he found a new outlet on paper and canvas. Having no formal education and with no instruction, Paul began to create images, and he transformed himself into what he was perhaps always meant to be: an artist.
Paul’s work has been exhibited at various art fairs, events, shops, and museums in Chicago including The Research House for Asian Art and WNDR Museum; upcoming exhibitions include the 2024 Outsider Art Fair in NYC. Since 2017, Paul has been an artist at Project Onward, a nonprofit for neurodivergent artists housed at the Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago.