a chinwag with magda chmielowska

How fun is the subscriber-only art poster in this issue? Sometimes a little yarn-sesh with your pals is all you need. We caught up with the artist behind it, Lyon/Warsaw-based illustrator and all-round lovely person Magda Chmielowska, to find out more about her inspiration and style.

Tell us about your creative style. Since I discovered traditional printing methods at uni, texture has been one of the most important things to me. It doesn’t matter if it’s a digital or an analog drawing, even a slight grain-like texture has to be there for me to be satisfied with the final result. When it comes to practice, I try to experiment and expand and see what gives me more creative fire. One week I might be more keen on digital drawing or animation, another it’s pencil, markers or embroidery.

When did you begin making art? One of my first memories was sitting in my grandparents’ kitchen and trying to recreate my grandpa’s animal drawings. Throughout school, my notebooks were mostly full of drawings and I started to take art more seriously in high school.

How did your artwork (now featured as a frankie card!) come to be? I have had a group of best friends since we were 13 years old. Every time we meet, there’s a little bit of gossip here and there. Sometimes I feel like I share too much information but then I stop myself and think, “this is sharing a perspective, and other people share their perspective about me”. It’s not gossip – it's anthropology research.

Where do you find inspiration? Usually I have a thought before falling asleep and put it in my notes for later, whether it’s a social commentary, a clear idea for a visual or a sentence that I can turn into a short story or animation. Almost everything I draw is inspired by my private life and whatever I notice within society and culture.

What’s next on your ‘to-create’ list? My big goal for the future is to create more editorial illustrations. I’ve never done it before and it’s been on my list for a long time. So wish me luck!