Lighthouse Phare du Petit Minou, 2022
acrylic on canvas, 130×100 cm

“Brittany is a historic land known for its high cliffs, fortresses, storms, gusty winds, and for its lovely beaches. Brest is a port city in north-west France, which like every seaside town offers splendid views and has many interesting places to visit. There is also an exceptionally important and large scientific centre here, in which the main areas of research are of oceanology and oceanography. It is one of the two cities that I never got to. Lighthouse, Phare du Petit Minou, built more than 170 years ago on a picturesque rocky headland beside a ruined abbey. The twenty-two meter high octagonal tower stands firm against the stormy waters of the Atlantic.

Why have I chosen the lighthouse among all the many places in Brest? Because of its symbolic value. The lighthouse beacon illumines the dark, gives hope, and helps sailors find their way. Like knowledge. Though knowledge and technical development mean that today lighthouses more and more rarely show the way to a port, they still enchant us with their beauty, guiding sailors along Europe’s lovely shores.”

SEA EU Maritime Universities
in the Paintings of Aneta Oniszczuk-Jastrząbek, Gdańsk 2022