Porto.art Award at the 1st International Ceramic Sculpture Triennale
As a proud partner of the 1st International Ceramic Sculpture Triennale, held at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Porto.art is thrilled to announce the recipient of its Special Award: INHALE / EXHALE, a powerful ceramic sculpture by Stella Zadros.
The Triennale, which opened on June 26, 2025, brings together ceramic artists, curators, and institutions from across the world to celebrate the diversity and innovation of contemporary ceramic art. The exhibition, curated by Dr. Barbara Banaś (National Museum in Wrocław) and Dr. Bożena Kostuch (National Museum in Kraków), runs through October 26, 2025 at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.
As part of our partnership with the Triennale, Porto.art was invited to select one Polish sculpture that, in our view, would best represent contemporary Polish ceramic art abroad - specifically in our upcoming presentation in Porto. Our mission is to promote Polish contemporary art , by showcasing works that transcend language and cultural boundaries while remaining rooted in their own artistic identity and expressive power.
Porto.art Special Award Winner INHALE / EXHALE by Stella Zadros
A sculpture that breathes - in form, in meaning, in motion. It reflects the rhythm of life: inhale, exhale; tension and release. It flows like the ocean - quiet, but full of movement.It bridges Poland and Portugal - not through symbols, but through shared emotional truth, says Maja Mlodzinska, co-founder of Porto.art
The Porto.art Special Award includes an invitation to present the work in our Porto exhibition space in 2026 - where it will enter into dialogue with new audiences along the Atlantic coast.
Why INHALE / EXHALE?
As Porto.art, we were invited to select one ceramic sculpture from the Triennale that would receive our Special Award and travel to Porto. We approached this task not only with curatorial curiosity, but also with a deeply intuitive sense of what we believe contemporary art can and should do: To connect. To simplify. To breathe.
When we encountered INHALE / EXHALE by Stella Zadros, the choice became clear. This sculpture is a paradox - structured yet soft, monumental yet silent. Its form feels at once futuristic and organic. The open loops and curved channels don't just guide the eye; they invite the breath. The piece seems to expand and contract, as if mimicking a living organism - or the motion of the tide.
What moved us most was how the work speaks without relying on narrative, identity, or ornament. It transcends language and borders. It doesn't "mean" one thing - it becomes something. We see in this object the universality of breath - the most fundamental rhythm we all share, regardless of geography, language, or politics. It feels meditative without being passive. Energetic without being aggressive.
In a time of overstimulation and noise, INHALE / EXHALE offers space. Space for reflection. Space for empathy. Space for others, comments Maja Mlodzinska.
That's why we chose it. Not because it explains anything - but because it allows us to feel something real. We can't wait to show it in Porto, where the Atlantic wind knows something about rhythm too.
Current exhibition:
🗓 June 26 - October 26, 2025
📍 Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw
🏆 Porto.art Special Award: INHALE / EXHALE by @stellaceramicstudio
🌍 To be presented at Porto.art in 2026
📸 In the photo:
Dr hab. Stanisław Brach, professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw and founder of the Triennale, together with Stella Zadroś, author of the awarded work Inhale / Exhale.