ABOUT BARBARA

Barbara Kobylinska was born in Warsaw, Poland. She received a Master’s degree in Graphic Design and later a Master’s in Costume and Stage Design at Warsaw’s Academy of Fine Arts. Since then, she has been an art teacher; a children’s book illustrator; a poster, puppet, and stage designer; and finally a sculptor. For the last 20 years, she has worked in her Virginia Beach studio, creating large (4–6 ft.), colorful ceramic birds, bugs and flowers that mirror the natural world with an abstract, fanciful twist.

An exuberant world of plants and animals, courtesy of the fertile imagination and capable hands of Barbara Kobylinska. The pure visual pleasure of these sculptures connects us to the wondrous joy of life itself, and to the creative spirit that elevates the everyday to the extraordinary.

Peter Winant
Director of the School of Art
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA

In 1981, she sailed with her husband across the Atlantic and through the Caribbean’s on a small sail boat. Since then, nature has been a dominant factor that has influenced and inspired Barbara Kobylinska’s artwork. She feels and expresses her deep admiration for nature’s wonders: organic, rich forms and abundant colors in her giant flowers and bird sculptures.

Her large indoor/outdoor sculptures has been exhibited in many prestigious national art shows including SOFA WEST in Santa Fe, Chicago SOFA, US Botanic Garden in Washington, DC, Loveland Sculpture Show in Colorado, ArtPrize in Michigan, as well as, permanently aboard the “Oasis of the Sea” cruise ship, North Carolina and Norfolk Botanical Gardens, Courthouse Galleries Portsmouth, Va. and various private collections throughout the country.

Barbara Kobylinska is a member of International Sculpture Center, Washington Sculptors Group, Potter’s Council and Ceramic Designers Association.

“Barbara Kobylinska approaches her art with both a studied sense of design and an unapologetic trust of intuition. Her artistic training and experience, has afforded her a solid understanding of structural form and language of shape, mass and proportion. Barbara Kobylinska is adventurous and inventive. With humor and a sophisticated, playful intelligence, she invites us to share her delight in the unexpected.”

Bob Donovan
Curator
Century Center Artspace
Arlington, VA

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SOLO EXHIBITIONS, COMMISSIONS, COLLECTIONS & PUBLIC ART

2002–2024

• Indoor/Outdoor Sculptures Exhibition, Charles H Taylor Visual Art Center,Hampton, VA
• “Beast, Bugs and Botanicals” Exhibition, Sandler Center Art Gallery, Va. Beach, VA
• Installation of “Stargazer” sculpture Healing Garden at the Sentara Brock Cancer Center, Norfolk, VA
• Installation of “Flying Pterosaur” sculpture Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center, Portsmouth, VA
• “Floral Orb”, 809 Gallery, CVUUC, Norfolk, VA
• “Imaginary Creatures”
  Perry Glass Wheel Art Center, Norfolk, VA
• “Wild and Colorful World of Barbara Kobylinska”
  Piedmont Arts, Martinsville, VA  
• “Spring Blooming and Buzzing”
  Lemon Tree Gallery, Cape Charles, VA
• “Figments and Fragments”
  Sandler Center Art Gallery, Va. Beach, VA
• Installation of three bird sculptures
  Botanical Garden UW, Warsaw, Poland
• The Art & Garden Event
  Williamsburg, VA
• Sculptures in the Garden
  North Carolina Botanical Garden, Chapel Hill, NC
• Williamsburg Arts District Sculpture Exhibit
  Williamsburg, VA
• 2016 Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition
  Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center
• Solo Exhibition: “Creatures Big and Small”
  Museum of Sopot, Poland
• Solo Exhibition: “Creatures Big and Small”
  Warsaw, Poland
• Peninsula Fine Art Center
  Newport News, VA
• Century Center Art Space
  Arlington, VA
• Individual Show at The Corporate Office
  1600 Tyson Blvd, McLean, VA
• Installation of “Sprouting Bud” Sculpture
  City of Green River, Wyoming
• Installation of “Wild Thing” sculpture
  Children’s Museum, Portsmouth, VA
• Installation of “Leaves” series
  Amway Grand Plaza Hotel, Grands Rapids, MI
• Individual Show at The Corporate Office Centre II
  McLean, VA
• Solo Exhibition “Sculpture 1275”
  1275 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington DC 
• Private Collection of Large Bird Sculptures
  “Oasis of the Sea” cruise ship
• Summer Public Art Program
  Point Park Garage, Norfolk. VA
• The Sandler Center for Performing Arts
  Town Center in Virginia Beach, VA
• Individual Sculpture Show
  Phoebus Art Gallery, Hampton, VA
• Courthouse Galleries Collection
  Portsmouth, VA
• Norfolk Botanical Garden Collection
  Norfolk, VA
• Various Private Collections
  Virginia
• Hudson Bay Gallery
  Virginia Beach, VA 
• Individual Exhibition
  Phillips Gallery, Virginia Beach, VA
• Individual Exhibition
  Artemis Gallery, Richmond, VA
• Sculpture Exhibition
  Cristallo Gallery, Williamsburg, VA           
• Individual Exhibition
  Riverview Gallery, Portsmouth, VA
• Individual Exhibition
  Atrium Gallery, Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, Virginia Beach, VA
• Individual Exhibition of Flower Sculptures
  Town Bank Pavilion Center, Virginia Beach, VA

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EXHIBITIONS

 

2024

• “National Exhibition of Animals and Insects” D’Art Center, Norfolk, VA
• “Hope, Healing and Resilience” show Sentara Brock Cancer Center, Norfolk, VA
• “Walk on the Wild Side” Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, Suffolk, VA
• “Texture Exhibition” Virginia Beach Art Center,Virginia Beach, VA
• “Funky Fungi” show, Norfolk Botanical Garden, Norfolk, VA
•  “National Exhibition of Floral” D”Art Center, Norfolk, VA
• “Garden at the Beach” show, Beach Gallery, Virginia Beach, VA
•  “Creatures and Bugs” exhibition, Central Library Art Gallery,Virginia Beach, VA

2023

• 13th Annual Workhouse Clay International, Workhouse Art Center, Lorton, VA
• “Solid Ground” Ceramic Design Association Show, Portsmouth Art Center, VA
• “Re-Art” exhibit Suffolk Art Gallery, Suffolk, VA
• Animal show gallery atCentral Library, Virginia Beach, VA
• “45^th Anniversary Exhibition” Zenith Gallery, Washington DC
•  “What’s New” Virginia Beach Art Center, VA
• “The Painted Garden”, Beach Gallery, Virginia Beach, VA
•  “Show Off”, Virginia Beach Art Center, VA

2022

• “Artist Showcase” D”Art Center, Norfolk, VA
• “The Zeitgeist of Zenith” Zenith Gallery, Washington DC
• “A Tribute to Peace” Suffolk Center for Cultural Art’s Galleries, VA
• “Harvest the Art” Beach Gallery, Virginia Beach, VA
• “What’s New?” Artist Gallery, Virginia Beach, VA
• “Sculptural Exhibition” Watergate Gallery, Washington DC

2021

• “Women Sculptures Bringing Balance with Humor” Zenith Gallery, Washington DC
• “ Handcrafted” Maria V. Howard Art Center, Rocky Mount, VA
• “The Search for Harmony and Balance” Watergate Gallery, Washington DC
• D’Art Center installation Hilton the Main, Norfolk, VA
• Visual to Verbal “Capricious Whimsy” Suffolk Art Gallery, VA

2020

• Group show
  21st Gallery, Norfolk, VA
• Outdoor Sculpture
  Portsmouth Art Cultural Center, Portsmouth, VA
• Hampton Arts League Members Exhibition
  Charles H. Taylor Art Center, Hampton, VA

2019

• “That’s Funny”
  The CharlesTaylor Visual Arts Center, Hampton, VA
• “Fire, Form, and Function” CDA Exhibit
  Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, Suffolk, VA
• “Earth Devised” National exhibition
  D”Art Center, Norfolk, VA
• “Horizon: As Above, So Below”
  Portsmouth Art Cultural Center,Portsmouth, VA
• Naples Downtown Art Show
  Naples, Fl
• Vero Beach Art Club
  Vero Beach, FL
• 3 Artists Show
  21st Gallery, Norfolk, VA

2018

• Master Works Exhibition
  Art Center, Smithfield, VA.
• Ceramic Designers Association show
  Albermarle Gallery, Elizabeth City, NC
• Animal Show
  Objects Gallery, Irvington, VA
• Artists Who Teach Show 2018
  Charles H. Taylor Art Center, Hampton, VA 
• 2018 Outdoor Sculpture
  Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center, VA
• American Craft Council Show
  Sarasota, FL

2017

• American Craft Council Show
  Baltimore, MD
• “From the Earth”  CDA Show
  D’Art Center, Norfolk, VA
• TAA Portfolio Art Exhibit
  Suffolk Art Museum, Suffolk, VA
• Pavilion Exhibition 2017
  Towne Pavilion 1, Virginia Beach, VA
• Artists Who Teach Show 2017
  Charles H. Taylor Art Center, Hampton, VA
• Dream House 2017 Show
  Peninsula Arts Center, Newport News, VA
• 2017 Rawls Museum Arts National Juried Exhibition
  Courtland, VA

2016

• Art Festival Beth-El
  St. Petersburg, FL
• 2016 American Craft Council show
  Baltimore, VA
• Outdoor Sculpture 2016
  Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center, VA
• “Form” Invitational Show
  D’Art Center, Norfolk, VA
• Group show
  Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, Hampton, VA
• Art show
  BB Gallery, Krakow, Poland 

2015

• 52nd Annual Art on the Square Show
  Williamsburg, VA
• From this Earth: Ceramic Art in Virginia Exhibit
  Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center, Portsmouth, VA
• Stockley Gardens Show
  Norfolk, VA
• Earth, Ware & Fire
  Artists Gallery, Virginia Beach, VA
• Virginia Artists 2015 Juried Exhibition
  Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, Hampton, VA

2014

• American Craft Council Show
  Baltimore, MD
• Outdoor Sculpture 2014
  Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center, VA
• “Louloudi Show”
  Athenaeum, Alexandria, VA 
• “Creatures Big and Small”
  Gdansk, Poland
• Group Exhibition
  Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, Hampton, VA

2013

• Greater Reston Arts Center
  Reston, VA
• Peninsula Fine Art Center
  Newport News, VA
• International Ceramic Forum,
  Polish Center for Sculpture, Oronsko, Poland
• “25 Years Anniversary Show“
  Watergate Gallery, Washington DC

2012

• “Visions in Clay”
  Courthouse Galleries of the Portsmouth Museums, VA
• Outdoor Sculpture 2012
  Portsmouth Art & Cultural Center, VA
• International Ceramic Forum
  Polish Center for Sculpture, Oronsko, Poland

2011

• “Fantascapes”
  Richard Stravitz Sculpture Gallery, Virginia Beach, VA
• “Assemblage, Collage and Mix Media”
  Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, Hampton, VA 
• Ceramic Designers Association Show
  Neil Britton Art Gallery 051, Va. Beach, VA
• “2011 Summer Sculpture Show”
  Watergate Gallery, Washington DC
• “Bird Art Exhibit”
  2011 Historic Garden Week, Virginia Beach, VA
• “The Art of Saving a River”
  Towne Bank, Virginia Beach, VA

2010 

• “ArtPrize” Show
  Grand Rapids, MI
• 19^th Loveland Sculpture Show
  Loveland, CO
• “Outdoor Sculpture 2010”
  Courthouse Galleries, Portsmouth, VA
• 1275 Sculpture Show
  1275 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC

2009

• 16th Sofa Chicago 2009
  Maria Elena Kravetz Gallery, Cordoba, Argentina
  Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
• Small Works Exhibition
  Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, Hampton, VA
  (2nd Place in Sculpture)
• 5^th Annual Art and Sculpture Festival
  Newport News, VA
  (Award of Excellence in Sculpture)
• Installation of 3 Flower Sculptures
  Town Center, Virginia Beach, VA
• Sofa West
  Maria Elena Kravetz Gallery, Cordoba, Argentina
  Santa Fe Convention Center, Santa Fe, NM
• Flora: Growing inspirations
  US Botanic Garden, Washington, DC 
• Vox Humana: Canvas, Paper and Sculpture Show
  Hampton University, Hampton, VA

2008

• Art Exhibit
  Hampton Roads Convention Center, Hampton, VA
• Small Works Exhibition
  Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, Hampton, VA
• Thrown, Carved, and Fired Show
  Courthouse Galleries, Portsmouth, VA
• Grovewood Gallery Sculpture Exhibition
  Asheville, NC
• Seven Cities Sculpture Show
  Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, Hampton, VA
• Outdoor Sculpture 2008
  Courthouse Galleries, Portsmouth, VA

2007

• New Gallery Grand Opening
  ArtLink LLC, Virginia Beach, VA
• “Afterlife: Cross-Cultural Artworks and Altars Celebrating the Spirit Thereafter” Invitational Exhibition
  Charles H. Taylor Arts Center, Hampton, VA
• “Chroma” Show
  Visual Arts Center, Tidewater Community College, Portsmouth, VA
• “Earth, Water & Fire”Ceramic Art Show
  Courthouse Galleries, Portsmouth, VA
• Annual Faculty Show
  Contemporary Art Center of Virginia,Virginia Beach, VA

2006

• Boardwalk Art Show
  Virginia Beach, VA
• “Outdoor Sculpture 2006”
  Courthouse Galleries, Portsmouth, VA
• Virginia Flower & Garden Show “Magical Garden”
  Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, VA
• Annual Faculty Show
  Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, Virginia Beach, VA

2005

• 2005 Annual Juried Exhibition
  Suffolk Museum, Suffolk, VA
• Summer Invitational Art Exhibit
  D’Art Center, Norfolk, VA
• Hyattstown Mill Arts Project
  Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition, Hyattstown, MD
• “Spotlight 2005”
  The Center for Craft, Creativity, and Design, University of NC- Asheville Kellogg Center, Asheville, NC
• “Rouge” Juried Exhibition of Love
  Indigo Contemporary Art Gallery, Norfolk, VA

2004

• 2004 Tri-State Members’ Show
  Winston-Salem, NC
• Sculpture Vision 2004 Exhibition
  Chapel Hill, NC     
• Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit
  Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden, Concord, NH       
• “Flora: Of, By, and About Plants”
  Shooting Star Gallery, Suffolk, VA
• “Eclectic Eccentric”
  Rawls Museum of Arts, Courtland, VA
• “Flora: Sculptures of the Natural World”
  U.S. Botanic Garden, Washington, DC         
• Sculpture Garden Exhibit
  Pemberton, NJ
• Peninsula Fine Arts Center Biennial Juried Show
  Newport News, VA

2003

• New Hope Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition
  New Hope, PA
• “Sizing it Up: Miniature to Monumental”
  Peninsula Fine Arts Center, Newport News, VA      
• “New Waves” Juried Show
  Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, Virginia Beach, VA 
• Sculpture Garden Exhibit
  Pemberton, NJ
• 2003 “The Art Market” Show
  Virginia’s Outdoor Gallery, Hampton, VA

2002

• The Hand Workshop Art Center Craft and Design Show
  Richmond, VA
• Peninsula Fine Arts Center Biennial Juried Show
  Newport News, VA
• 2002 “The Art Market” Show
  Virginia’s Outdoor Gallery, Hampton, VA
• “Creative Clay-Outstanding Form” Show
  The Collage Arts Center, Smithfield, VA