Angelic souls

The painting “Angelic Souls” from the Limits series by Magdalena Nowatkowska is a minimalist, symbolic composition. The vertical, irregular marks rhythmically arranged on the canvas may evoke ethereal figures, spiritual manifestations, or abstract records of existence—immaterial, yet clearly present.

The brown background can be interpreted as a representation of primal, earthly matter—a symbol of the physical world, the foundation upon which the entire composition unfolds. In contrast, the blue vertical signs appear, whose arrangement and irregularity may suggest the individuality of each “soul,” while also hinting at a certain collective identity.

“Angelic Souls” can be seen as a reflection on the boundary between the material and spiritual realms. On one hand, the composition alludes to order and systematization—the regularity of the figures' layout resembles a coded sequence, a symbolic registry of existence. On the other hand, the irregularity of their shapes disrupts this harmony, suggesting that each “soul” carries something unique—something that cannot be confined within rigid frameworks.

The painting’s minimalist form does not impose a definitive interpretation, leaving space for the viewer’s personal associations. It might be read as a story of memory, of the fleeting traces left by those who are gone—or as a meditation on the essence of existence—intangible and elusive, yet fundamental to human identity.