The World of Art and Fashion of the artist Marika Kolonowicz

The scent of nature surrounded by fresh grass is unmistakable. Some somewhat restless steps are appearing in the distance, apparently they are looking for the shade of a leafy tree that looks like a good refuge from the inclement sun that accompanies the afternoon. A young woman - the owner of the restless steps - carries a small suitcase with little things. She reaches the tree that she saw from afar, takes a seat under its green branches and opens that suitcase that she keeps a little bit of everything, because as she always says, creativity comes from the simplest and most everyday things in life.She takes her little notebook and with some markers she begins to diagram what will soon be; a piece of art or a new garment for her clothing brand.

This is how the art of Marika Kolonowicz begins. She is a Polish artist who has brought her art to the world and her special and well defined work of art; She reflects her fluidity in her pieces, the warmth provided by her company and the look of a girl, which without a doubt always motivates her to tirelessly experiment and discover new things for her work.

We had the opportunity to get to know her work and she gave us this interview where she shares details of her creative process and her experiences showing her art.

Since what age did you start with your art?

I have the impression that art accompanied me from an early age. Going back to my childhood years, I have always liked to surround myself with objects that were related to creativity and broadly understood art, at the same time being part of some whole that was magical for me.

It's nice to remember the moments spent in the family home, which was always full of love, harmony and craftsmanship. Crocheting, sewing, painting, it was almost everyday, charming and inimitable. Family stories, in the background of which art has always been developing.

All skills are certainly written in my genes, who knows what else will come out of my hands. I love to create, I love this time alone with my creativity, which I feel is like a never-ending story.

Photography by Piotr Deyna

What is your greatest inspiration when painting your linear works and what do you want to convey in your works?

Inspiration can be anything. The world around us is an inspiration in itself. A tree encountered on a walk, the arrangement of branches, bark embossing, interesting "flowing" clouds, and even a gym or a decorative ornament. I also draw inspiration from what surrounds me at a given moment, inspiration can come suddenly, unexpectedly. I have always been drawing, now I paint/draw what I feel and what my imagination brings to mind.

In my paintings, I would like to convey a bit of my world, which seems very interesting to me. If something is interesting, you can't keep it to yourself, you can only share it with others, so I share my lineart space on the web.

How do you define your art?

My art is unconventional, innovative, bold, valuable, psychedelic and mysterious. Yes, I think it's a component disorder. The art of Art_ Manialineas is full of abstraction, mysterious abstraction. It maybe incomprehensible to the recipient. Delve into the network of lines, by unraveling the greater depth of the whole, which is difficult at first glance. A characteristic feature are lineart faces. Each face carries a different mystery, story, joy and problems. Behind every face is a man who can have many faces. One for friends, another for family, and yet another for strangers. It's fascinating.

Marika Kolonowicz

Your artistic work is based on lines, especially in the creation of line faces on different supports; such as ceramics, paper and all kinds of materials. How was your artistic style born?

That's right - I create on various substrates. Each, like human faces, is different. Working on each substrate is different, sometimes this cooperation is easy and pleasant, other times it is complicated. It depends on the invoice, on the tools with which he works at the moment. It will form differently on cardboard, which tends to be stubborn in cooperation, and differently on denim or clay.

My style is still being created somewhere, although I often hear from recipients that my lines applied to canvases or clothing are very characteristic and they know that I created a given project. It's very nice to hear that. I am constantly trying to improve my workshop. Development in art is very important, thanks to which the projects will never get bored, and the recipients will always be hungry for more works.

Not only does your artwork have a pretty definite style, but so do your designs at your clothing brand Mariko Design, where you paint jackets, design women's fashions, and create accessories. Please tell us about this other creative area that you handle in parallel with your line and abstract art.

MariKoDESIGN.pl,  it's my everything. Recently, in one Polish Magazine of Creators, I was hailed as a Woman of the Renaissance. Unique products are created in my studio. From hand-knitted cardigans and sweaters, ceramics, jewelry, to huge and long shawls. I crochet, paint, create original earrings, necklaces, home accessories and much more. It is a passion for art, unique things. And it is in these activities that I try to smuggle the art of lineart.

I have many achievements in my artistic account. He works with LA Artists, creating an amazing atmosphere, thanks to which the outlines for exciting and promising projects are created. I was noticed by local TV stations, with some I also managed to establish cooperation. An example maybe the presentation of a MariKoDESIGN.pl brand jacket with a rocket motif embroidered on the back, which could be seen at Lady Rocket Space (a promoter of the space sphere from LA / USA), who wore it during the launch of the Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral and broadcast upload all on your channels. In recent months, one of my jackets was donated by the Lady Rocket Space Foundation to the Ukrainian School located in Lviv as a gesture of support and friendship.

In addition, my products are worn by famous personalities from e.g. LA, NY, California, e.g. the well-known New York influencer Dayle.

My foreign activity was also noticed in Poland, where I received the title of the Ambassador of Polish Handicraft in 2021. In October 2022, I received the title of Ambassador of Pomeranian Culture. This year's success is the winning of a Husqvarna sewing machine in the promotional campaign of the International School of Costume and Fashion Design. I am curious to see what the future will bring.

Photography by Piotr Deyna

Do you have any favorite artist or artists? Why is it your favourite?

It seems to me that every artist has their artistic gurus. I can safely say that I have several. Everyone was an individualist, everyone had a different line, a different story, but one thing they had in common was the love of art and the passion that kept pushing them to act and create more and more works. That's definitely why I like them so much. I'm talking about Henri Mattise here, one of my favorite works of his is "Blue Nudes" from 1952. Pablo Picasso and his characteristic "Maidens of Avignon" from 1907 or "La Reve" from 1932. They cannot miss Vincent Van Gogh and his "Starry Night" from 1889 and of course "Cafe Terrace at Night" from 1888. I am also close to the works of Gustav Klimt and "The Kiss" from 1908.

What do you consider to have been your greatest challenge in the world of art?

The greatest challenge in the world of art... I think there maybe several. Challenges are the goals we set for ourselves and strive for them. I don't like to reveal my plans, I prefer to show something that I have tangibly created so as not to jinx it. But they are for sure.

You have already told us about your brand Mariko Design and your linear art. How do you manage to maintain the balance between the two, since both are very different?

I don't think the worlds are that different. As I mentioned earlier in my brand MariKoDESIGN.pl, I try to smuggle the world of lineart, because it is unique and decorating some of my projects with lines is an amazing fun. Mixing both worlds is an art in itself, resulting in unique projects. Keeping balance, as you called it, is also an art and a great skill, the condition is love and passion for what you do - then there are no boundaries in creating.

Marika Kolonowicz

We know that you participated in Art Basel, a world-renowned event that shows the best of the art world in different areas. How was your experience?

Thanks to cooperation with the Lady Rocket Foundation from Los Angeles, which came to me from among hundreds of thousands of Artists, my art can be of this event. It was a great joy to see my projects exhibited in the spaces of the new art fair, courtesy of Eva Blaisdell, with the function I will add devices that will actively participate in this event in the future - who knows, maybe with my linearts.

Art has undoubtedly brought very significant and special moments in your life, such as being named Ambassador of Polish Handicraft. What advice would you give to young people who are afraid of making art their career?

Being an artist has never been a day like this and never will be. It's not a road of roses either. It's a constant battle and scum to get noticed.

Always have dreams and go after them. If your inner self tells you to do, then in spite of everything and everything, it should be done.

Fear is normal, I never know if the path we take is the cause but if we don't tell, we won't know. It's better to take a risk and not regret it than not to risk it and regret it later. I live here and now, and if not now, then when?. Life is so short and fleeting. So let's take full advantage of it. Because that's the most important thing.

Are any exhibition projects coming up this year?

There are many projects that they intend to increase, I hope they will come to fruition, but please do not implement anything until they are buttoned up. If anyone is interested in the fate of @art_manialineas and the brand @marikodesignpl, I will follow my fate in Social Media, soon and on the pages. Ups! However, I revealed something.

Marika Kolonowicz