Berntson Bhattacharjee and Adam Mickiewicz Institute are pleased to present Raw Earth, Rare Earth, a solo exhibition by Polish artist Alicja Biała. Exhibition is on view from 18 September to 25 October 2025, and will be open throughout Frieze London (15–19 October 2025).
Renowned for her large-scale murals and architectural installations, Biała transforms the gallery into a sculptural garden. Through etched brass, cast flora, and suspended root systems, her works explore the intersections of nature, history, and political agency. Employing painterly, sculptural, and chemical processes, she develops a language of ecological awareness while celebrating the splendour of the organic world.
Highlights include Beneath the Soft Ground, Hard Ground, a monumental cycle of twelve brass panels depicting hyperaccumulator plants—species with the rare ability to cleanse soil and water of heavy metals. Previously on view at the Europa Building in Brussels as part of the Cultural Programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2025 organized by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, this work anchors the upstairs presentation alongside delicate bronze plant casts.
Downstairs, the space becomes an underground terrain, featuring Biała’s newest ceramic pająk sculpture, inspired by Polish folk traditions, and a series of brass etchings of potatoes, a recurring motif in her practice. Together, these works expand her exploration of landscape, ecology, and cultural memory, offering an immersive environment where beauty and inquiry converge.
Berntson Bhattacharjee will be exhibiting further new works by Biała at the inaugural Echo Soho Art Fair, October 16–19, 2025 in London. Echo Soho is a new art fair founded by and for female-led galleries, which will take place during Frieze week 2025.
Alicja Biała is an artist working across media and scales. Biała initially gained attention with her large-scale public paintings, followed by her politically charged Polish Cut-Out series. She has since worked across scales, ranging from architectural installations to large interior sculptural lighting, etchings, paintings, and more. Her work incorporates a mixture of folk and environmental themes that bring the political and personal spheres of contemporary life into close proximity. She has received widespread press, and multiple awards, and is in numerous private and national collections. Biała graduated from The Royal Drawing School and holds a Master degree from The Royal College in London. For more information please visit: alicjabiala.com/info
Berntson Bhattacharjee Gallery, founded in 2020, is based in London with a satellite programme in Stockholm. In 2023, the gallery transformed what was once a car park into its permanent 2,500-square-foot space in the heart of Fitzrovia.
The gallery is dedicated to celebrating and nurturing relationships with contemporary emerging artists, consistently prioritising their long-term aspirations. It remains committed to fostering ambitious projects and maintaining a strong roster of artists, supporting them during critical junctures in their careers.
The Adam Mickiewicz Institute (IAM) brings Polish culture to people around the world. Being a state institution, it creates lasting interest in Polish culture and art through strengthening the presence of Polish artists on the global stage. It initiates innovative projects, supports international cooperation and cultural exchanges. It promotes the work of both established and promising artists, showing the diversity and richness of our culture. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute is also responsible for the Culture.pl website, a comprehensive source of knowledge about Polish culture. For more information please visit: iam.pl.
The project is co-funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
