Art photo credit: J. Pennards-Sycz
Name: Justyna Pennards-Sycz
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J. Pennards-Sycz
The Importance of Arts, Culture & The Creative Process
The creative process is deeply important to me because it is the very essence of humanity—an international language that transcends barriers of culture, age, and circumstance. I witness daily how creativity fosters joy, understanding, and connection in my workshops. Art has an incredible ability to heal, offering solace and expression where words often fail. It’s a process that reminds us of our shared humanity and innate ability to create beauty, even in the face of challenges.
I think that this project could be very valuable for teenagers. Adolescence is a time of identity exploration, emotional turbulence, and the search for belonging. Through art, I see a pathway to help them process these experiences, discover their voice, and build resilience. Engaging teenagers in the creative process is not just about teaching a skill—it’s about empowering them to understand themselves and the world around them.
For me, the creative process is more than making something tangible; it’s a transformative journey that fosters healing, self-awareness, and growth. Sharing this with others, especially young people, is both a privilege and a responsibility I embrace with passion.
What was the inspiration for your creative work?
My project, Visions of Paradise, is a celebration of the enduring force of nature—a force that surrounds us, inspires us, and perseveres despite the ecological challenges we impose upon it. Through fantasy landscapes and imagined flora, I explore how nature thrives, adapts, and reclaims its place, offering a glimpse of hope in the face of adversity.
Two key works embody this vision. "Botanical Garden" captures the resilience of plants flourishing in an uninspiring, human-dominated environment, a testament to nature's ability to endure and transform even the most neglected spaces. In "Spring at the Vesuvius", I depict the rebirth of life after disaster, with vibrant growth emerging from the ashes of destruction, symbolizing the unstoppable life force of the natural world.
Each piece in this series is a dialogue between reality and imagination, where organic forms and surreal elements merge to create spaces that feel both familiar and otherworldly. Visions of Paradise is both a call to action and an invitation to dream—a way to engage viewers in reflecting on humanity’s relationship with nature. Through these works, I aim to inspire appreciation, responsibility, and wonder for the ecosystems that sustain us all.
