March 31, 2026
Critique by Kurt Beers, BEERS London
Review of my recent paintings, produced during two artist residencies, a May 2025 Takt Berlin artist residency and January 2026 Anderson Ranch, Aspen Colorado, January studio sessions artist residency, by Kurt Beers, the Gallery Director of Beers London.
BEERS London is one of London's leading galleries for cutting-edge contemporary painting. BEERS remains committed to presenting art that challenges, engages, and reflects the shifting cultural landscape. Gallery Director Kurt Beers is the author of 100 Painters of Tomorrow (2014) and the award-winning 100 Sculptors of Tomorrow (2019).
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"There is a real sense in Peter Wowkowych's work that painting is being used as both a structural and emotional language, and that duality feels deeply connected to his background, particularly his Master of Architecture. He seems to approach the canvas not just as an image plane, but as a constructed space where figure, surface, and narrative are constantly negotiated. That awareness gives the work a strong internal logic, even when the imagery itself moves between abstraction and figuration.
"One of the most compelling aspects of Peter's practice is his handling of paint, especially in the thinner, more recent works. In pieces like ‘My Father Always Promised Me Series: Although I Look Just Like My Father’, the exposed canvas and visible mark-making create a kind of vulnerability that feels both intentional and powerful. The restraint in these works allows the viewer to engage more directly with the process, and there’s something very honest in the way the image is allowed to remain partially unresolved. This is definitely an area worth continuing to push.
My father always promised me series:
Although I look just like my father
2026, Oil on linen panel, 9" x 12"
"Similarly, the rawness and incompleteness in ‘We Are the Echoes of Those Before Us’ feels like a significant and exciting direction. The balance between what is rendered and what is left open creates a tension that aligns beautifully with his conceptual concerns around identity and inheritance. There’s a sense that the figures are still becoming, still in flux, which reinforces the psychological depth of the work.
My father always promised me series:
We are the echos of those before us
2026, Oil on linen panel, 18" x 24"
"Peter's use of “paintings within the figure,” particularly in the ‘Being and Metamorphosis’ series, is another major strength. These internal surfaces create a layered reading of the body, almost as if identity is being mapped, fragmented, or constructed from within. It gives the figure a sculptural and spatial complexity, and this is where his architectural sensibility really comes through. The figure becomes less of a subject and more of a site.
Being and Metamorphosis series:
Left: Being and Time
Right: Just Be
2025, Acrylic, gouache, graphite and oil pastel on Camouflage fabric 60" x 83"
"At the same time, there is an opportunity to push the relationship between these internal and external spaces even further. In some works, the background and figure operate quite separately; exploring ways to let them bleed into one another, either materially or compositionally, could create an even more immersive and unified visual field.
"Peter's practice already has a strong and recognisable visual identity, which is a significant strength. There is a clear “DNA” emerging across the work. Moving forward, the challenge will be to continue evolving that language without losing its core. One way to do this could be through scale. One thing to consider with the thinner, more exposed works would be to paint them at a much larger scale. Expanding these ideas into larger formats could amplify the physicality of his mark-making and allow the viewer to become more fully immersed in the work.
"Another area to consider is the balance between control and disruption. Peter clearly has a strong command of composition and structure, but the moments where the work feels most alive are often where that control loosens, where marks feel more instinctive or where areas are left unresolved. Leaning further into that tension could open up new possibilities and keep the work feeling dynamic.
"From a professional development perspective, Peter's multidisciplinary background, spanning architecture, curation, and painting, is a real asset. It positions him well to think beyond the individual canvas and into how work can be experienced in space. There is strong potential for Peter's practice to expand into more installation-based or spatially driven presentations, where the relationship between works becomes as important as the works themselves.
My father always promised me series:
Our strength will remain uncovered
2026, Oil on linen panel, 18" x 24"
"In terms of presentation, maintaining the integrity of the surface will be key, particularly with the thinner works. Careful consideration of framing (or even the decision to leave works unframed) could further emphasise the rawness and materiality that is becoming such an important part of his practice.
"Overall, this feels like a practice in a really exciting moment of transition. The shift toward thinner paint, exposed surfaces, and more open compositions is revealing something essential in his work, something more immediate, more vulnerable, and arguably more powerful. By continuing to push these elements, especially through scale, material interplay, and spatial presentation, Peter has the potential to develop an even more distinctive and impactful body of work."
-Kurt Beers, Beers London
https://beerslondon.com/
