Rafał Kotwis

Dr. hab. Rafał Kotwis is a Professor at the University of Arts in Poznań (UAP), employed continuously since 2006. He heads the 1st Studio of Sculpture and Environment within the Faculty of Sculpture and lectures in Computer Techniques in Sculpture since 2015. Concurrently, he serves as a Lecturer at Collegium da Vinci in Poznań from 2022. His administrative tenure includes Dean of the Faculty of Sculpture (2020–2023), UAP Senator (2020–2024), and Faculty Coordinator for PhD Studies (2018–2019), confirming active faculty status without former or retired designation.

Educational Background:

• 2000–2005: Faculty of Painting, Graphic Arts and Sculpture, University of Arts in Poznań (UAP)
• 2002–2005: Philosophy, Adam Mickiewicz University (interrupted)
• 2012: Doctoral degree obtained, Assistant Professor appointment
• 2020: Post-doctoral degree obtained, Professor appointment

Kotwis’s research centers on the critical examination of digital technology’s impact on sculptural practice and human experience. Early works analyzed aestheticization of everyday life as cultural dysfunction, while current focus explores artistic immersion and dehumanization through electronics appropriation, where technology replaces or filters reality. His methodology combines resin, steel, electronics, and 3D printing to investigate tensions between virtual and physical realms. Projects like the Made by Kotwis series merge aesthetics with functionality, examining how digital tools redefine artistic predicates and mass cultural seduction.

His publications (2022–2024) reveal consistent thematic progression: from material analysis of 3D printing (e.g., Temptation of Zbrush series) to philosophical inquiries about AI’s relationship with art. Works address digital figuration limits, virtual-physical reality translation, and contemporary art definitions, all contextualized within his hands-on studio practice. This output bridges artistic creation with academic discourse, emphasizing technology’s role in reshaping sculptural form and cultural perception without explicit grant documentation.

No scientific awards, prizes, or medals are referenced in the provided materials.

Kotwis’s academic leadership includes direct oversight of PhD studies coordination and university governance. His roles demonstrate institutional commitment to scientific quality and educational advancement:

• Advising & Academic Service:
  • Faculty Coordinator of PhD Studies (2018, 2019)
  • Science and Art Festival coordination (2012, 2015, 2019)
• Administrative Leadership:
  • Dean of Faculty of Sculpture (2020–2023)
  • Vice-Dean of Faculty of Sculpture (2016–2020)
  • Faculty Coordinator for Quality of Scientific Activity (2023–present)
  • UAP Senator (2020–2024)
  • Scientific Council membership (2020–2024)
• Committee Involvement:
  • Medals and Decorations Committee (2016–2022)
  • University Council for Science and Quality of Education (2016–2020)
  • PKA team (2014–2019)
  • Art high school promotion trips (2016–2018)

His primary creative base is the Sculpture and Environment Studio at UAP, where resin, steel, and electronic components are integrated with 3D printing to produce immersive objects. The PKA team (2014–2019) at the Faculty of Sculpture functioned as a collaborative unit for academic development, though specifics of its mandate are unelaborated. Current studio practice focuses on ABS resin artworks exploring electronic dehumanization, as seen in 2024’s Temptation of Zbrush III series, operating as a hub for digital-physical artistic synthesis.