The artist has a holistic approach to his projects: he controls the entire process, from the very first phase until the final print. Typography is central to his work. He successfully combines letters and images, allowing them to intertwine and form well-thought-out and harmonious compositions.
In his poster announcing Kuki Monstar’s performance, letters spin against the background of a bright green iris, and they line up in rigid geometric rows in those prepared for Klub Kurier. The Karski poster is his most radical: Iwański chose to write Jan Karski’s surname in greenish fluorescent letters on top of a black-and-white portrait photo of the hero. Linked by lines, the letters resemble a three-dimensional structure, or rather a mask partially covering his face, but also revealing specific parts of it. Karski’s ardent eyes, looking at the viewer from between the letters, constitute a powerful emotional emphasis of the composition.
The artist handles the black-and-white aesthetic skilfully, as in Musica Privata or ArchModern, where he plays with shapes and letters with restraint. When he opts for colour, he does so with courage and panache. Polówka 2014 / Mid-2014 announcing summer cinema events in Łódź is a true jungle of colour, while the one from 2013 shines with intense magenta. The poster promoting the Yapa festival in 2014 combines an unusual use of letters and colours. There Iwański chose to spread the words beyond the frame of the poster, focusing on one visual element: the red and pink face with an open mouth contrasting with the turquoise background.
Iwański admits that Bauhaus art remains one of his principal sources of inspiration. While emotions are part of the creative process, clarity and functionality are his main priorities.
And why is he sure that his posters reach the audience? Because most of them mysteriously vanish only a few days after being hung.
- 2nd and 6th – China Poster Triennale, China
- 1st and 2nd – Chicago International Poster Biennal, USA
- 22nd and 23rd – Poster Biennale Katowice, Poland
- 22nd and 23rd – International Poster Biennale, Warsaw, Poland
- 9th – International Poster Trienniale, Toyama, Japan
- 9th and 10th – Golden Bee Moscow International Biennale of Graphic Design, Russia
- Plakat lubi śpiewać / The Poster Likes to Sing – Aneks – SPOT Gallery Poland
- Plakat lubi śpiewać / The Poster Likes to Sing – National Museum, Poznań, Poland
- Taiwan International Graphic Design Award, Taiwan
- Chopin Postscriptum 2010, Poland
Author: Agata Morka, transl. Bozhana Nikolova, May 2015