Kacper Kowalski (b. 1977) has been observing and photographing landscapes from a bird's-eye view for over 25 years. After studying architecture at the Gdańsk University of Technology and working in the profession for four years, he dedicated himself to flying and photography - his greatest passions.  He has spent over 5000 hours in the air. As a paraglider and gyroplane pilot, Kacper took to the skies with an engine strapped to his back, discovering a world of forms, shapes, and patterns during his solo flights. Constantly battling the forces of nature: wind and air currents, photographing from a height of 150 meters above the ground, he finds himself in an almost meditative state. In those moments, the landscape reveals not only abstract forms to him, but seems to communicate with him through a language of symbols that appear in his photographs. For Kowalski, flight is not just a way to capture the world below him, but becomes a spiritual journey during which he discovers universal truths about the relationship between man and nature, about the past and the present, as well as about his own personal truth and the path to it. 

He has received numerous awards, including the World Press Photo award (three times), the Picture of the Year International POYi award (six times), and dozens of others. His first book, "Side Effects", was published in 2014 by Leica Gallery Warsaw, followed by self-published books OVER (2017), Arche (2021), and in 2022, the book Event Horizon was published by the Dutch publishing house 1605 Collective. His works have been exhibited hundreds of times in group and solo exhibitions around the world, and his books have won and been nominated for the most prestigious awards, including Les Prix du Livre at Rencontres d'Arles. He is represented by Panos Pictures, as well as galleries: Bildhalle in Amsterdam and Zurich, and Atlas Gallery in London. Co-founder of the Przypływ gallery in Gdynia.

The artist is open to collaboration with creators from other disciplines, particularly in the field of music. The concert version of Side Effects presented below is the result of a collaboration with composer, musician, and Stanford University professor Jarosław Kapuściński. The piece had its premiere during the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, USA, in 2017, and was subsequently performed live many times, entering the repertoire of Chinese pianist Jenny Q. Chai. The live performance of the piece involves a video projection shown on a screen above the stage, accompanying the live musical interpretation. Kacper also collaborated with Sławek Jaskułke, performing a concert during the W Ramach Sopotu Festival in 2018, and with the musicians of Sinfonia Varsovia during the Music Gardens festival in 2024, creating visualisations for a concert of Canto Ostinato by Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt. The concert interpretation of Side Effects is also the only situation where Kacper has used drone technology. 

In 2026, together with the Przypływ Gallery, he published “100 Years of Gdynia Dreaming”, which is a poetic history of the city, told through art.

Ig: @kacperkowalski_photography

The works of the artists presented during the Dreams of Gdynia festival are available for sale.

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