For nearly 40 years I have created non-representational work across a wide range of scales from 10cm to 10 metres and across painting, print and drawing. The process of drawing underpins my practice. For several years, my focus has been on composing symmetrical structures that contain central voids. I attempt to find stillness in a free-flowing line.
My drawings and paintings are freehand; rigour is required. I don’t entertain the use of masking, either in tape or fluid; and so, there is jeopardy throughout the journey of making. I set boundaries, only to skirt close to, and break them.
I return to completed works to inform and inspire a fresh approach to new work.
The physical making of a work may take months, my solid graphite drawings for example, involve several processes until the final burnishing with an eraser. This is slow art. After nearly forty years, I refer to the linage of my own practice and use an established process to find it but where it is going remains unknowable.
My heritage: I was born in 1964, in Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire, the youngest of six
to Polish Parents. My father was a sergeant in the 3rd Carpathian Division of the Free Polish Army in WWII and demobilised in Italy, where he met and married my mother in 1947. She had escaped with five other young women, with the aid of the Polish resistance, from a labour-farm in the Southeast of Germany. They walked to safety after three days, over the Alps into Italy. Two years later after The Polish Re-settlement Act, they travelled to UK to Kelvedon, Essex Displacement Camp. There, they began a new life and started a family. After eleven years living in a Nissen Hut, they moved to a new home and town my father helped to construct in Harlow New Town. Where I was raised a safer, more settled life, which gave me the freedom to become an artist and an art lecturer. I have nurtured a generation of artists and architects through art education and now, live with my family in Nottingham.
Marek Tobolewski – Exhibitions
Solo
2025 Congruent Sym – Aleph Contemporary, Stroud.
Sym out of Balance - Notice Board United Exhibition 66 Uffington, Stamford.
2022 Line - Beam Gallery, Primary, Nottingham.
2017 The Other Art Fair - London.
2013 Between the Lines - Buxton Museum and Art Gallery.
2011 Sym - Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donington.
Sym2 - Walner Gallery, Nottingham.
2010 Continuum in Symmetry - Djanogly Art Gallery, Nottingham.
2009 Continuum - HIVE Gallery, Barnsley.
2003 A line seen + felt - Bridlesmith Gate Gallery, Nottingham.
1995 New York Paintings - East Midlands Arts Board, Loughborough.
1994 Disintegration - Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham.
Axis - Yarrow Gallery, Oundle.
1992 Open - Galerie OZ, Paris.
1991 Paper Works - Galerie Art Plan, Paris.
Innercore - Galerie OZ, Paris.
1989 Paintings - Nottingham Castle.
Group
2025 Hepworth Print Fair – Hepworth Wakefield.
First Light – The Sun ATL, Atlanta, USA
Winter Group Show - Linden Hall Studio, Deal, Kent.
2024 40th Open - Southwark Park Galleries, London.
Inprint - Print Fair, Old Parcel Office Artspace, Scarborough.
Art Car Boot Fair - Baltic Contemporary, Gateshead.
2023 Discerning Eye - Mall Galleries, London.
Plot - Stand C33. Platforms Project Independent Art Fair, Athens.
2022 38th Open - Southwark Park Galleries, London.
British Painters - Waddi Gallery, Atlanta, USA.
Reflections - Tarpey Gallery, Donington.
Open 22 - The Old Lockup Gallery, Cromford.
Gallery Artists - Jenna Burlingham Gallery, Kingsclere.
2021 Open 21 - Tarpey Gallery, Donington.
2020 Gallery artists - Waddi Gallery, Atlanta, USA.
Contemporary Art Auction - Djanogly Art Gallery, Nottingham.
[2018,16,14,10,08,04,03,02]
2019 Expanded Studio Project - PS2, Belfast.
Secret Postcard Show - The Old Lock Up Gallery, Cromford.
Grouped - DTG2, Decatur, GA, USA.
2018 Math + Art, Different Trains Gallery 2, Decatur USA.
2017 Different Trains, inaugural exhibition, Decatur USA.
British Printmakers in the American South - Sycamore Place Gallery, Atlanta USA.
2014 White Barton Sym – 10m Wall painting, Carnival of Monsters, Bartons, Nottingham.
2013 Open - shortlisted Nottingham Castle.
2012 Painting Now, Nottingham Castle.
2011 Salon Art Prize 2011 - Matt Robert Arts, London.
4Can+2 - Surface Gallery, Nottingham.
2010 The year they met - NS Project Nottingham.
Reunion - Oldknows Gallery, Nottingham.
Occidental Dimension - UoB Gallery, Brighton.
2009 Small works - Claire White Gallery, Barnsley.
Contemporary Art Fair [+’99] Batersea Arts Centre, London
2008 Last Call - Vinson Gallery, Atlanta. USA.
Present - Hive Gallery, Elsecar, Barnsley.
Decade - Vinson Gallery, Atlanta USA.
2004 Remote Drawing - Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham.
Artexpo - Vinson Gallery, Atlanta USA.
2006 Nottingham Open [‘92,1,0] - Museum and Art Gallery, Nottingham Castle.
2000 Contemporary Art Auction [1999,8,7,5] - Museum and Art Gallery, Nottingham.
2003 Art for Life - Christies, London.
2002 Art from the studios - Museum and Art Gallery, Nottingham Castle.
2001 Another view of Wright - Derby Museum & Art Gallery.
Derby Open [+’00, 97,3, 2] - Museum and Art Gallery, Derby.
British Artists CreateX - Museum of the Southwest, Texas USA.
H2O British Contemporary Art - Brahm Gallery, Leeds.
2000 Summer show - Royal Academy, London.
1999 Circa ng - Bonington Gallery, Nottingham.
1997 Absolute eye - Deranged Gallery, Nottingham.
Logos - 3rd National Open (finalist) - Logos Gallery, London.
1996 Contemporary Painters & Sculptors - Air Gallery, London.
Leicester Open (‘95,4,3) - City Gallery, Leicester.
1995 Young British Abstraction - Silverstein Gallery, New York, USA.
International Contemporary Arts - Design Centre, Rugby.
East Midlands Artist of The Year (1st Prize) - Smiths Gallery, London.
1993 Innovart - Leicester Museum and Art Gallery.
National Open (1st Prize) - Patchings Art Centre, Calverton.
1989 Starting a Collection - Warwick Arts Trust, London.
The Abstract Show - The Young Unknowns Gallery, London.
Xerox Open (finalist) - Festival Hall, London.
1987 Sussex artists - Museum and Art Gallery, Brighton.
Publications
Continuum in Symmetry
2LC Trip Sym
Innovart
Remote Control
Geldards – Art at the Arc
Evardshed Art Colletion
Occidental Dimension
Awards
2006 Arts and Business New Partners Award
2001 Arts and Business New Partners Award
1997 East Midlands Arts Board Fine Art Bursary
1995 East Midlands Arts Board [Arts Funding 95,93,89]
1993 1st Prize (painting section) East Midlands Artist of The Year,
Smiths Gallery, London.
1st prize 'Disintegration no.4' Patchings Award, National Open, Calverton.
1989 Pollock - Krasner Foundation Award, New York, USA.
Commissions
2011 5m Triptych Recital Hall, University of Nottingham
2006 5m Diptych Geldards LLP, Nottingham
2001 e.Learning Centre Farnham N.C.C. Nottingham
1997 Derby Dance Centre Derby
1997 Ossowski Antiques Showrooms London
1992 MacDonalds Ltd UK (HQ) Birmingham
Collections
NHS Arts Collection Shirley Ryan Abilitylab collection, Chicago.
Hammersmith Hospitals London
Warwick Arts Trust, London
Haymarket Publishing, London
Spectrum Consultants, London
MacDonalds Ltd UK (HQ), Birmingham
Nottingham City Council Eversheds Solicitors (UK HQ)
Nottingham Trent University Pharmaceutical Profiles (UK HQ)
Nottingham Law School Limmeys Design
Sonnys Restaurants Jesses Restaurant
Geldards LLP (UK HQ)
Private Collections UK, Ireland, France, Spain, New Zealand, USA
