Harmonism is a signature movement in contemporary painting, created by Justyna Harris. It is  an artistic response to modern chaos, the erosion of interpersonal relationships, and the rupture among us humans, as well as between humanity and nature.

I. Philosophy: Respect for Space

The foundation of Harmonism is the belief that true order does not result from blurring differences, but from full respect for them.

• ”Edge-to-edge” Symbolism: Each element in the painting is created separately. Painting them in such a way that their edges touch but they never overlap is a metaphor for an ideal society. 
• Respect for Individuality: Harmonism teaches that every human being and every entity of nature has the right to its own, inviolable space. The beauty of the whole (the image of the world) emerges from the fact that we respect the boundaries of others, without attempting to dominate or conceal them. 
• The Search for Balance: The creative process is a form of meditation – the artist first seeks harmony within themselves  so they can transfer it onto the paper and inspire the viewer to find peace within themselves.

II. Technique: Rigor and Discipline (Method)

Harmonism is one of the most technically demanding contemporary movements, built upon the rejection of academic shortcuts.

• The Surface: Exclusively premium watercolor paper. Unlike canvas, paper is unforgiving of mistakes and demands a definitive decision with every single brushstroke. It also has a different absorption rate than regular paper and does not ”buckle” (warp), which is crucial when working with diluted, water-based acrylic paints.
• Medium: Acrylic paint, never straight from the tube. It is diluted to a signature consistency to lay smoothly and cleanly, preserving the luminous brilliance of the colors.
• No Layers: Harmonism rejects glazing and painting over mistakes. Similarly, transparencies (negative spaces) are painted as individual  ”edge-to-edge” elements. Colors are distributed symmetrically with mathematical precision to avoid ”color gaps” or the blending of colors into a shapeless smudge.
• Sequence of Creation: The work begins with a multiday, precise pencil sketch. Then, a single color is mixed, and all elements in that specific color are painted. First, the details of nature are painted ”edge-to-edge”, and the background is painted at the very end, painstakingly filling the empty spaces between them. Only in paintings featuring negative spaces (transparencies) is the final sequence reversed-first the bold colors, then the background between them, leaving clean shapes of ”transparencies” at the very end. If the ”transparencies” overlap in the drawing, each element is still painted ”edge-to-edge” with a different color, which ultimately creates the illusion of overlapping negative spaces. This is the most difficult moment in the creation of the paintings.  

III. Themes: ”The Vanishing World” Series

The sole inspiration for Harmonism is the concrete, existing nature (fauna and flora).

• The Perfection of Nature: In Harmonism, nature is presented as a state of perfection in itself – it requires no improvement or abstract alteration by man.
• Hidden Symbolism: Each painting (composed of many small elements) carries a message about the fragility of life. The title  ”The Vanishing World” refers to the decline of harmony between people, as well as between people and the environment.
• No Trace of Man: In this movement, we will find neither man-made objects nor abstraction. Nature is the sole and ultimate blueprint of order. Conversely, the colors placed within the shapes symbolize individual existences, including humans. However, no color transitions smoothly into another (not even the background), which symbolizes respect for the individual and their space.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        This Ethics of Color signifies Autonomy and Boundary. In the movement of Harmonism, the ”edge-to-edge” painting technique gains a deeply ethical dimension. No color has the right to usurp the space of another. Every single, even the smallest element of the composition possesses its own autonomous boundary, which is respected by other colors. This is a direct reference to interpersonal relationships and the condition of the modern world.

                ABOUT  THE   ARTIST

Justyna Harris is a Polish artist who has created a new movement in art – Harmonism. Her painting is an expression of inner order, a search for meaning, and a profound connection with nature. In her works, silence, light, and color meet in perfect balance, creating a space of contemplation and tranquility.

The creative process of Justyna Harris has an almost meditative character. Each painting is born from a moment of inspiration – a fleeting impulse that transforms into a precise vision of forms and colors. At that moment, the artist disconnects from the outside world to immerse herself completely in creation. She works in silence, in full concentration, in harmony with the rhythm of nature. It is then that her characteristic compositions emerge – precise, rhythmic, and filled with color.

Every element in Justyna Harris’s paintings is consciously planned – every color, shape and transparency carries its own meaning. Her technique requires extraordinary patience: each fragment is painted separately, and layers of paint never overlap. Together, they create the illusion of movement, breath, and the energy of life. Transparency becomes a metaphor for transience – a symbol of a world that endures only through subtle balance.

Symbolism in her paintings holds great significance. The artist is often asked to explain the deep meanings hidden within each of her works. During her exhibitions, Justyna Harris not only reveals her creative process but also shares the message contained in every piece she creates.

For example, her painting ,”The Raven” is a reflection on the passage of time and the inevitability of transience. The central figure – the raven – is portrayed as a being of experience, slightly hunched, weary of life. Its gaze carries both wisdom and acceptance of fate. In the bird’s eyes, one can sense an awareness of the natural cycle – of endings and beginnings intertwined. The withering leaves symbolize the approaching end, the slow fading of life. Despite the melancholic tone, the composition also holds a quiet hope. The raven stands on green grass – a symbol of renewal, vitality, and the joy of life – while the fallen leaves around it subtly express the fragile balance between age and youth, passing and rebirth. The painting becomes a poetic dialogue about the fragility of existence and the meaning of every fleeting moment.

Creating a single painting takes the artist between four and six weeks, and each work is like a meditation – a process requiring complete focus and emotional dedication. After finishing a painting, the artist allows time for regeneration – which is why only a few works are created each year. This makes every piece unique, full of energy and depth.

The exhibition cycle ,”Vanishing World” is the most important project in the artis’s career. Its a record of contemporary longing for the lost balance between humanity and nature – an artistic call to return to the sourse, to a world where every sound, shape, and color coexist in perfect harmony. In Justyna Harris”s paintings, nature becomes not only a theme but also a teacher – reminding us of the laws we have forgotten to follow.

However, ,,Vanishing World” is not only about the natural world. It is also a metaphor for the growing disappearance of harmony among people – the loss of mutual respect, empathy, and attentiveness. Modern humanity, absorbed in itself and detached from the rhythm of nature, is losing the ability to truly listen to one another. This exhibition cycle is an attempt to keep this silence – an invitation to reflection and to rediscover the harmony that connects us with nature and with each other.

Each painting by Justyna Harris is a separate story about the fragility of existence and the need to be filled with wonder at what is fleeting. In harmonious juxtapositions of color and rhythmics forms there is a quiet meditation on transience, but also a hope that beauty – even that which is vanishing  – can be preserved through mindfulness, respect, and love.

”Vanishing World” is therefore not a story about an end, but about enduring in harmony. About the delicate boundary between destruction and rebirth, silence and sound, light and shadow. It is a cycle in which art becomes a form of memory and prayer – to preserve what is purest in and around us, to restore harmony – that with nature and that among people.

The exhibition ”Vanishing World” was organized for the first time in 2023 by the Castle in Oświęcim, in the space of the Town Hall Museum. Since then it has been shown in Poland and abroad, attracting viewers with its universal symbolism as well as its distinctive color palette and aesthetic. In addition to the paintings, one can see prints documenting the labor-intensive process, and a film shot during the act of painting, which allows a glimpse into the very heart of the creative act – the moment when silence, color, and gesture join into a single, harmonious whole.

The harmonism that Justyna Harris has created is more than a painting style. It is a philosophy of life and art – a vision of world in which every element has its place and meaning. The artist believes that in nature there exists a perfect structure – a harmony of forms and rhythms – and that the artists task is to find it and translate it into the language of color and shape.

The artist is also a tetrachromat, which allows her to perceive a significantly greater range of color shades thanks to having a four type of cone cell in her retina. This is one of reasons why her paintings are characterized by such an extraordinary richness of chromatic nuances. Many admires of her art call her the ,,Queen of Colors”.

Her works are held in collections in Poland and abroad, among others in France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Israel, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and elsewhere. She is a member of the Association of Polish Painters and Graphic Artist and also collaborates with promoters of her art in Los Angeles.

Justyna Harris is also an artist with a strong spiritual dimension. Her sensitivity and intuition point to an ability to perceive harmony and beauty in subtle details, and the concentration and love of order in her compositions give the viewer a sense of calm and joyful hope. Her art is not only an aesthetic experience but also an energy of transformation – an invitation to inner quiet and to finding harmony within oneself. 

Justyna Harris creates a world in which art becomes therapy, silence a language, and color a path to spiritual awakening. This is painting that combines precision with mysticism, madness with discipline – and that reminda us that beauty is always an expression of balance.