The painting “Fertilization of the Earth” from the series “When Spring Comes, Nature Awakens to Life” at the exhibition “The Horse and the Polish Cause” at Cliché Gallery in Warsaw (13 Feb – 28 Mar 2026).
The painting “Fertilization of the Earth” depicts a penis inscribed into the landscape in a symbolic act of fertilization. The scene is observed from a female perspective. The work expresses a fascination with the cycles of nature. It shows that the human being is an integral part of nature, and that human — more broadly, earthly — sexuality is embedded in the natural cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. And that is precisely what makes it beautiful.
At the same time, while reading Karolina Kliszewska’s curatorial text, the painting appeared in my thoughts in the context of the fate of the horse within the Polish language.
It is intriguing that a patriarchal society, which historically used and exploited the horse (and continues to do so) in every possible way, simultaneously attributed to it qualities associated with masculinity — strength, endurance, power, potency. In this way, the horse became present in everyday language as a metaphor for masculinity. In slang, “horse” is sometimes used to refer to male genitalia — precisely because of these associations with strength and virility.
The colloquial expression “to beat the horse” is a vivid depiction of male masturbation. Here, the horse represents the penis, and at the same time the man in his strength and potential.
“Fertilization of the Earth”, acrylic on canvas, 200 × 120 cm (2 × 100 × 120 cm), 2021
