Paintings by Michał Kotula, an artist of the young generation, are print-like in that drawing plays a major role in them. The starting point for his paintings are digitally processed photos of cityscapes. Kotula, 29, is interested in urban and industrial areas and his works are faithful depictions of streets and factories with easily recognizable car makes, logos of banks and so on. The dominant colors are black and shades of gray with prominent colorful details in some parts of the paintings.

Kotula's paintings displayed at the Profil Gallery in Poznań (Zamek Culture Center, 80/82 Święty Marcin St.) are rooted in hyperrealism. Kotula processes them in his own unique way, aided by a computer to obtain compositions that are a cross between painting and printmaking. "I try to make sure the composition leaves nothing unsaid and I make sure the colors are the most sophisticated ones," Kotula says.

Though Kotula's work combines painting and printmaking, it is closer to the latter. The exhibition in Poznań also features portraits, but all are of anonymous people. The works clearly show they are the result of experiments performed on photos using graphic software.

The exhibition, running until Feb. 20, is a form of award for Kotula for an international painting competition called Image in Public Space in which in 2008 Kotula won the Grand Prix for a painting entitled Blues of Silesia. The acrylic-on-canvas picture shows an industrial view of Silesia and it is on show at the exhibition in Poznań.