[vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]I met Tomasz Alen Kopera in 1997, in the Polish city of Wroclaw, under quite unusual circumstances. I studied at the University of Economics in Wroclaw and lived in the small dormitory with the idyllic name “Oasis,\u201d that belonged to this university. There was truly a family atmosphere in it and everyone knew each other perfectly. Now, only memories and photos have been left of the dormitory; in 2008 it was completely demolished.<\/p>\n
The year of 1997 was tragic for Wroclaw. The “millennium flood” that came that year destroyed many houses and housing estates, and left many residents without the roof above their heads. Wroclaw University of Technology allocated people affected by the flood waters into their dormitories, and in turn, relocated their own students into dorms of other universities. Tomasz, who at that time studied at the Wroclaw University of Technology, was assigned to a substitute dorm belonging to the University of Economics, the aforementioned “Oasis.\u201d This is where our paths crossed for the first time.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_images_carousel images=”15755,15756,15757,15758,15759,15760,15761″ img_size=”full” autoplay=”yes” hide_pagination_control=”yes” wrap=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]After a closer acquaintance, it turned out we had a lot of interests in common. Tomasz quickly acclimatized in our dormitory, and a friendship between a group of students still continues to this day. Despite the passage of time, we are still close to each other and we meet regularly. Tomasz studied civil engineering, but we treated him as one of us. At that time, he became known as a modest and quiet person, and at the same time, he captivated us with his amazing sense of humour; above all, he stood out as a great artist. He painted a lot in our dormitory, most often using pastels on paper. Some of the works from that period have been retained in private collections of his friends, including myself.<\/p>\n
Student times, as it usually happens, are full of great memories. It is obvious that besides studying, there was also a social life present, in our case, particularly intense. We got to know the city of Wroclaw, but we also organized trips with a group of friends; in the summer to the sea, in the winter to the mountains.<\/p>\n
The most exceptional adventure was a trip to the United States. Thanks to the student VISA, myself and Tomasz went to conquer the northern states and visited, among others, Chicago, Boston and New York. The longest, however, we stayed in the picturesque state of Maine. During this trip, Tomasz\u2019s talent quickly revealed itself, and our American friends were impressed by his incredible imagination and art skills. To this day, we remember the student days with great sentiment, mostly because of the opportunity to learn about new cultures, inspiring places and interesting people.<\/p>\n
For young Tomasz, who tried his hand at painting, these times were not very favourable. As a “non-union” artist, and being not an adept of any art school, he could not exhibit his works anywhere in Poland. At the end of my studies, around 2001, I managed to encourage a certain gallery in Wroclaw to exhibit some of his paintings. This was my first \u201cacting on behalf\u201d of Tomasz and at the same time, his first public exhibition of his own works. We did not know back then, that in the near future, apart from friendship, we would also be connected by a professional cooperation. One can be tempted to say that my first help to the artist in exhibiting his works in the art gallery started a series of artistic events and subsequent exhibitions. It gives me a great satisfaction and joy, and I feel honoured that I had the unique opportunity to participate in the beginnings of his artistic career.<\/p>\n
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After graduation, our contacts limited a little. In 2004 Tomasz moved to Northern Ireland, and at that time, I worked in Poland at a large financial institution. In 2007, I also decided to go to Ireland, however to the Republic of Ireland. Because the distance that divided us significantly decreased, our contacts and meetings became much more frequent. We saw each other regularly, in his Coleraine or at my place in Dublin. Common trips, meetings and long conversations contributed to the idea of \u200b\u200bestablishing a gallery of art, where I would be dealing with the promotion of Tomasz\u2019s art. At that time, the artist was already very successful, exhibiting his works, among others, in Ireland, England and the United States.<\/p>\n
In 2013, I founded the online art gallery \u201cArt\u00e9clat – Where Dreams Become Art.\u201d Initially, the gallery was to provide the most up-to-date collection of Tomasz\u2019s paintings, information about him, and offer the possibility to purchase the available paintings. The gallery was growing, and the group of fans on social platforms grew very dynamically. The logo of the gallery has become recognizable and inseparably associated with the works of Tomasz Kopera.<\/p>\n
Where did the name Art\u00e9clat came from? The word “\u00e9clat” itself comes from French and it means splendour, style, glamour, brilliance. The idea that inspired the creation of the Gallery name was a smooth combination of craftsmanship and the excellence of Kopera\u2019s art with the highest quality of service that promotes this art. The phrase Art\u00e9clat – where dreams become art, reflects this subtle combination very well and at the same time invites you to visit the world of imagination, art and perfection.<\/p>\n
I organized the first exhibition of Tomasz Alen Kopera’s works under the logo of the Art\u00e9clat Gallery in November 2014, during the art fair at the Royal Dublin Society in Dublin, Ireland. A collection of ten paintings was presented; all of them were oil on canvas. The exhibition was our great success, and the Irish art market presented the opportunity to get to know and appreciate the craftsmanship of the Polish artist for the first time.<\/p>\n
In 2016, my cooperation with Tomasz Alen Kopera became even more professional. Since then, I represent the artist as an exclusive agent and I conduct all sorts of activities promoting his art around the world. I represent the artist at auctions, exhibitions, fairs, etc. On his behalf, I carry out negotiations related to copyrights, proprietary projects of various kinds and publishing houses. All the while I successfully provide a sell servise of Tomasz\u2019s works on his behalf through the Art\u00e9clat Gallery.<\/p>\n
It is also worth mentioning that nowadays, together with Tomasz Kopera and his wife Anna, we continue our student traditions of travelling on joint expeditions where we explore new places and cultures. Each trip is an opportunity to deepen our friendship, allowing a moment of reflection and a deeper look at the surrounding world. It is also a journey into ourselves – experiencing what is strong in us and facing our own weaknesses.<\/p>\n
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Because we have been friends for so many years, Tomasz\u2019s art is very close to me. Therefore, I speak to our clients about his art with great pleasure and passion. As an artist’s agent and his long-time friend, I am absolutely convinced that such a great talent deserves the highest recognition. That is why, through my actions, I would like to contribute as best as I can to his success. I would like the entire world to find out about his incredible art. I am grateful that years ago our paths crossed. Actually, except for Tomasz\u2019s wife, there is no other person for whom his art would be equally close.<\/p>\n
Together with Tomasz, we adhere to the principle that we should not take any shortcuts and whatever we do, we want to do it perfectly, with due diligence from the beginning to the end. Therefore, in the Art\u00e9clat Gallery, we do not go for compromise, and our service is the quintessence of excellence and care for quality. Just as the Kopera’s paintings are unique in terms of their perfection, all products offered in our gallery are of the highest quality.<\/p>\n
From the very beginning, when creating the Art\u00e9clat Gallery, we have in our minds all the true art enthusiasts and art collectors, who paying attention to the smallest details of each work, will also notice our passion for detail at the stage of its distribution. We understand that our fans, just like ourselves, do not tolerate half-measures, and can appreciate Tomasz\u2019s amazing imagination and his extraordinary talent, but also its perfect presentation. Respect for art and art enthusiasts is most important to us and we build our commitment on it.<\/p>\n
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I hope that I managed to familiarize you with the history of the creation of the Art\u00e9clat Gallery, I am also happy that through these words, I can share with you my private history of friendship with my dear friend and outstanding artist – Tomasz Alen Kopera.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Jakub Jozefczyk<\/p>\n
Agent for Tomasz Alen Kopera<\/p>\n
Founder of Art\u00e9clat Gallery[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text]I met Tomasz Alen Kopera in 1997, in the Polish city of Wroclaw, under quite unusual circumstances. I studied at the University of Economics in Wroclaw and lived in the small dormitory with the idyllic name “Oasis,\u201d that belonged to this university. There was truly a family atmosphere in it and everyone knew each […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"yoast_head":"\n