Olka Osadzińska is an artist with a passion. This is reflected in her work, spontaneous illustrations which combine bold lines and rich colours, and which have achieved recognition all over the world.
She has no formal art education. Her adventure with illustration started with a blog where she published her drawings. She did cultural studies at the University of Warsaw, and she also had a go at medicine and journalism. At some point Osadzińska decided to dedicate herself to illustration.
The artist gained experience in influential institutions like the Hort studio in Berlin and Vault 49 in New York. Her works have been published in widely read magazines, such as Elle, Glamour, Wysokie Obcasy, Przekrój and Twój Styl. Her illustrations were also included in the prestigious publication The Beautiful: Illustrations for Fashion issued by Gestalten and Style among hundreds of carefully selected works by emerging talents in the field of graphic art from around the world.
In Osadzińska’s illustrations confident women in red lipstick intertwine with decorative floral and animal motifs. She creates a dynamic, contemporary world, captivating with its energy. The artist also excels in the world of commercial illustration. She has had the opportunity to work with the biggest brands: she created a T-shirt for the cult film Star Trek and she was invited by Reebok to design shoes. As a result of her experiments with bright colours, the rather classic Workout Mid acquired gold ornamentation. The design was inspired by Basquiat, Haring and even bubble gum. Osadzińska adds:
We all remember the colourfully dressed boys dancing to music from boomboxes in the videos from the 80s and the 90s. I wanted to create shoes which would allow girls to take part in such a dance competition. Chewing pink bubble gum.
Embeded gallery style
display gallery as slider
She says projects of this kind bring her joy:
I have always liked commercial projects very much, especially those related to the design of products. The first shockwave occurs when someone invites you to cooperate. Once the project is accepted, you think: Wow, I did it! When you see the finished product, you realise that ideas have become a reality – and it’s always a great pleasure. But it is when someone puts it on themselves – as a hoodie, t-shirt or shoes – and makes it part of their image, that you feel a glow of pride.
Osadzińska also works in other areas, such as promoting Polish graphic artists around the world. She was the curator of the exhibition DESIGNING POLSKA. DESIGN IN POLAND organised during the 2014 London Design Festival in cooperation with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. The exhibition presented the works of the most important contemporary Polish graphic artists and illustrators. In addition, Osadzińska is involved in educational activities, preparing illustration workshops for art students.
Author: Agata Morka, transl. Bozhana Nikolova, April 2015
- 2007 - Jak Malowane: Picture Me, under the patronage of the French Institute in Warsaw
- 2012
- Why Don’t All of Us Like Adventures. The Story About Janek Dziaczkowski, Centre for Contemporary Art, Warsaw
- DESIGN FOR FREEDOM — FREEDOM IN DESIGN | GRAPHIC DESIGN IN POLAND 1981 – 2011, Berlin, Tokyo, Stockholm - 2014 - DESIGNING POLSKA. DESIGN IN POLAND, London Design Festival