2024
mixed-mediums object made from surfboards
285 x 52 x 8 cm
Starting bid: 5 000 zł
Dominik Jan Gralak’s artistic practice focuses on the individual and their relationship with both social and natural environments. Drawing inspiration from surfing subculture, his works explore narratives of human connection and the individual’s place in nature. Human totem is a sculpture characterised by vibrant, contrasting colours, adorned with decorative patterns that evoke indigenous ritual motifs. The shape, reminiscent of a human profile, is both dynamic and raw. Jagged edges, serrated lines, and a blade-like form combine with rich, hand-rendered designs to symbolise human nature’s strength and fragility.
The work merges elements of street art, sculpture, and totemic symbolism, reimagining the surfboard as a ceremonial object. Human Totem stands as a metaphor for identity, history, and human spirituality, echoing traditional totems used by cultures across the world to tell stories and preserve ancestral knowledge. The work reflects contemporary repurposing and the artistic recontextualisation of everyday objects, transforming them into multi-layered and contemplative forms.
Dominik Jan Gralak (b. 1985) is a visual artist, photographer, and co-founder of Poland’s surfing scene. In 2020, he earned a master’s degree from the Faculty of Graphic Arts and Media Art at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław. Gralak has developed numerous artistic projects, participates in charitable initiatives, and leads workshops for children from Ukraine.
