Hazlemere artist Agnieszka Cereda finds inspiration in life’s little things

Hazlemere artist Agnieszka Cereda draws inspiration from the Chilterns landscape, everyday discoveries and personal experiences. She tells us about finding her artistic voice later in life and her forthcoming solo exhibition at Penn Street Gallery.

For Agnieszka Cereda, sometimes a paintbrush can say what words cannot. “I think in pictures,” says the 42-year-old artist, who lives in Hazlemere with her two children, her golden retriever Lloyd and, she admits, “probably an unreasonable number of plants”.

“Sometimes, when I can’t quite find the words for something I’ve experienced or something that matters to me, I paint it instead.”

It’s a philosophy that has developed alongside an unconventional journey into art. Originally from Kraków, Agnieszka moved to the UK in 2011, initially settling in Chesham before moving to Amersham, where her children were born. The family moved to Hazlemere in 2019.

Although she had always drawn, Agnieszka had no formal art education. She worked mainly in pencil and charcoal before motherhood gave her the opportunity to explore painting – albeit after a slight mishap with the décor.

“I only began painting later in life, after I’d had my children,” she explains. “Eventually, when absolutely everything – even the radiator – seemed to be covered in black charcoal dust, I decided it might be time to try paint instead.”

She promptly chose oils, blissfully unaware that she had selected one of the more technically demanding mediums. In 2023, however, something shifted. Agnieszka decided art was the direction she wanted her life to take and committed to pursuing it, however long the journey might be.

Her paintings often contain symbolism, small details and a touch of humour, but she likes viewers to interpret them in their own way.

“One of the greatest compliments for me is when someone connects with something that began as an idea in my head, then became a painting… and decides to give it a place in their own home.”

Local life provides plenty of inspiration. Agnieszka loves the Tuesday market in Amersham, charity shops and Tring Market Auctions, while her favourite walks include Little Missenden and the countryside around Shardeloes and Hughenden.

This autumn is a busy one. Her paintings are on display at Penn Street Gallery, HP7 0FA, alongside prints and cards, ahead of her solo exhibition running from 12 to 20 November. The exhibition opens with a special evening on Thursday, 12 November, before continuing through the following week until Friday, 20 November.

“I believe paintings need to be seen in real life,” she says. “Art is made to be seen and shared.”

For someone who found her own artistic voice later in life, it seems fitting that she is keen to help others find theirs, too.

Visit agnieszkacereda.com for more information.

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