Monika Drożyńska

Monika Drożyńska was convicted of embroidery. For ten years, Drożyńska embroidered words directly onto train headrest covers. These interventions eventually led to a court case and a conviction.

During her PhD at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków, she coined the term “embroidery writing” to describe her practice: a form of writing situated between intimate handwriting and the privileged authority of the printed word.

Language is the central material of her practice. A Polish visual artist working across textiles, installations, and public space, Drożyńska explores how words, letters, and alphabets shape identity, belonging, power, and resistance. Her research takes the form of hand embroidery on fabric.

Her works are held in collections including MOCAK, the National Museum in Kraków, POLIN Museum, NOMUS, Lentos Kunstmuseum Linz, and the National Art Museum of Ukraine (NAMU) in Kyiv. She received the 2024 Paszport POLITYKI Award in Visual Arts, one of Poland’s most prestigious cultural awards.

Tablecloths, 2019–ongoing. 600 × 450 cm. Hand embroidery on textile. Installation view from Embodied Work, Centre of Contemporary Art, Torun, 2026. Photo: Wojciech Szabelski.

Byt Odbyt, 2022–2026. 100 × 70 × 100 cm. Hand embroidery on textile, installation using a mounting system by Jan Glinski.

Flags, 2017. 150 × 500 cm. Hand embroidery on textile. Exhibition view from Self Seeders, HoS Gallery. Photo: Szymon Sokolowski.

Ich bin, du bist, ich bin, 2025. 250 × 200 cm. Hand embroidery on textile. Studio view, Monika Drozynska. Photo: artist’s archive.

HEALL, 2026. 210 × 160 cm. Hand embroidery on textile with hand-cast brass elements. Exhibition view from It’s All Core, Studio Jaskolka, 2026. Photo: Dominika Glica.