Magda Cwik - Inspirational Abstractism - I Support Street ArtI Support Street Art

Magda Cwik – Inspirational Abstractism

In this interview we speak to Polish street artist, Magda Cwik. Based in Barcelona, Magda decorates urban surfaces with her special multidisciplinary style influenced by street art, painting, drawing, photography, animation and digital art. She constantly seeks inspiration around her and on a personal level she chooses a healthy living with yoga being a daily part of her life as well as travelling the World. For Magda, a constant challenge remains for her to investigate the new boundaries of creativity.

-What would you like to drink? Coffee, Tea, Beer, Soda or something else?
Sparkling water and a glass of white wine please 🙂

-Introduce yourself to everyone!
I’m Magda Ćwik, from Rzeszów City in the South East of Poland. I base myself between Barcelona and Dublin. When I’m on the go, I tend to work on my design graphics and illustrations, I also paint canvas in my studio in Poblenou, Barcelona and walls around the city too.

Parallel Minds painted in memory of my loving father and for a friend going through difficult times.

-Do you use your real name as an artist?
I use my real name as a tribute to my father’s surname. He always wanted to have a son who would prolong his Ćwik surname.

-How do you define yourself and why? Artist? Street artist? Something else?
I am a multidisciplinary artist. My passion to use other mediums has lead me to engage myself in many projects in other disciplines including street art, painting, drawing, photography, animation and digital art. The knowledge of various fields, techniques and computer programs influenced my creative process and shaped my style.

Inside Out mural.

– How did it all start for you, and what is it nowadays?
When I was 24 I moved to Ireland, right after graduating from Fine Arts at Rzeszów University (Diploma in Abstract Painting). The best option for me, at the time, was to learn graphic programs, which I had no clue about previously, and look for a job as a graphic designer rather then trying to make living from Fine Art straight away. I started experimenting with different forms of digital art and I found it fascinating. Through this I became Art Director for Pygmalion Club in Dublin. I always had the urge for painting at the forefront of my mind though and knew I would return to it someday. This is the reason why I started to be interested in Street Art. My dream to paint again came true when I did my first Street Art project for Dublin Canvas in 2016 and then painted the ‘Free Your Mind’ wall in Poblenou, Barcelona. Since then I have been painting canvas and walls as much as possible and I couldn’t be happier.

Free Your Mind wall.

-What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
Usually, I get up early to go to the beach to do my morning yoga. This helps to sharpen and clear my mind. After a healthy juice and breakfast I go to the studio and plan my day.

-Street art is mostly a visually stimulating form of art. To add one more sense to it, what music would you pick to accompany your art work?
It depends on the wall or project. For example, if you look at the video produced for Live Painting at The Meeting Point Gallery (https://youtu.be/Pl4uZm3Ow48), hip-hop with jazz elements goes well with the feel of the place and the artwork I was making for them. I like to stimulate myself with trip-hop, ambient, jazz or electronic music when I paint or work on a design.

Live Painting at The Meeting Point Gallery.

-In all forms of art, inspiration is crucial. What inspires you and how does that end up in your art?
Emotions, experiences, people and things that I encounter everyday bring inspiration and stimulate my imagination. Sometimes the place, surroundings, or history of a wall or a subject can influence my work. I use symbols that are specifically connected with a topic to enhance a message or tell a story. Reading books, flicking through magazines and albums can also trigger my creative side. On top of this, I also attend as many art events as I can in whatever city I am in. I feel this helps to keep me up to date on the styles and influences of other artists and you get to hang out with like minded people.

Repeal the 8th wall painted for Amnesty International Ireland to support their campaign.

-What is the hardest part while working on a piece of art?
I find some tension at the very beginning when starting a new project or a canvas. However, when I follow my creative process and trigger my imagination it all flows naturally. This is why I feel having a process is such an important element when producing artwork.

-Do you have any artist(s) you admire? Can you pinpoint what it is that makes them so special for you?
Well, there are far too many artists to list here, however I’ll focus on three women artists that currently influence me.
I’ll start with who I feel as one of the most influential performance artists, Marina Abramowicz, because she inspires me to ‘never do anything half way’. The self-portrait pioneer Cindy Sherman breaks the canons of beauty and uses her own face to expose today’s behaviors on social medias. Activist and performer, Kashink inspires me because she provokes aesthetic miths in her artistic actions.

-Which cities are the most inspiring for you as an artist?
Barcelona is an incredible city, full of inspiration, cultural events and unique personalities. Berlin, Bangkok and Cracow are also very exciting cities due to the diversity of art that you can see in those cities.

Psyche Up wall.

-What other passions do you have apart from art?
I love travelling, discovering new places, tasting regional food and observing local fashion.

-Do you have a special project that you hope to achieve some day?
Creating a mural in my hometown would be a project which I dream of doing someday. Rzeszów is where I was born and raised so it would be so nice to be able to give something back to the city that has helped to shape who I am today.

-Tell us a bit more about your art; does it include symbolisms, messages or repeated patterns? How has it evolved?
My art is a blend of symbolic elements and flowing abstract shapes mixed with defragmented human features and distinct bold colours that brings my work to life and gives it my own personal touch. Split faces and vagueness of shapes allow me to maintain an open interpretation of various poses, moods and feelings. At the beginning, when taking black and white photographs or drawing portraits, I was always intrested in portraing people bahaviours. This is one of the reasons I paint monocromatic faces to express present emotions. After discovering animation, I started adding graphic elements which would symbolise the meaning of time and bring some movement in a scene. Over time, I’ve been experimenting with different tools and programs, therfore I use various techniques and mix graphic estetics with artistic expresion to communicate my thoughts and inspirations through my art.

Parallel Universes mural painted with Pu-ke and my partner for Arnau Gallery.
Video link (https://youtu.be/8WUK7mCMpf0)

Parallel Universes, close-up.

– How long time does your art work, on walls, usually survive for?
It depends on the wall or project. Sometimes, it’s a couple of weeks, months or if it’s a commissioned project, it remains untouched. However I have had pieces that have only lasted for a few days, but that’s just how it is sometimes.

-What do you think people feel or think of, when they see one of your works on the street?
I hope that people feel the moment, creativity and flow in my pieces and interpret the work in their own way.
-What are your creative plans for the future?
I’m currently working on a series of paintings that I have been receiving positive news on to date. I will share more news in near future on my website blog and Instagram; All I can say at the moment is that it’s going to be a busy time for me. So keep an eye out if you want to see what I’m getting up to.

Square shape. / Photo ® Kaitlyn Patrizia.

-Is there a little wish you have that not many people know about?
Learn how to beatbox.

-Is there a specific thought or message you would like to pass to our audience out there?
Be different, work hard to achieve your dreams, no one ever said it would be easy, stick with it even when times are tough.

Thank you Magda! It’s been a pleasure to know more about the mind and person behind such inspiring works.
‘’I Support Street Art’’ team.