Amelia’s Magazine | The Golden Thread Awards at Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland A/W 2011 in Łódź

?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011

As with all the shows at Fashion Week Poland, price The Golden Thread Awards show began with a booming announcement somewhat akin to the call to board an interstellar spacecraft: Please take your seats now, information pills the mission to Mars is about to commence. That or a catwalk show.

?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 streetstyle

Fashion Week Poland was not hot on front row goodie bags… but The Golden Thread did as good as it said on the tin: waiting on our seats were small plastic bags of sewing thread, viagra sale handy for all those crafty projects. The Golden Thread, otherwise known in Polish as Z?ota Nitka, is responsible for launching the most talented fashion design graduates into the public realm – it counts amongst its winners the well known design duo Paprocki & Brzozowski.

Golden Thread Award Fashion Week Poland AW 2011

French fashion celebrity Marcellous staged a fabulous late entrance in a fuchsia pink suit and purple ostrich brogues, carrying aloft his angel-winged Jack Russell Phaedra. Phaedra is herself a celebrity and had her very own doggy fashion week pass. Marcellous was trailed by a camera crew who obscured our view somewhat as the local dignitaries all rose for a bow, which I found most amusing.

?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 Marcellous and Phaedra
Marcellous & Phaedra dressed down on another day.

?ód? Fashion Week AW 2011 Phaedra Amelia
Phaedra, the best behaved dog ever, on my lap.

Also on our seats was what looked curiously like a posh wine list – a line up of the competing entries for The Golden Thread award in black and jewelled red: I’d like a glass of Anya with my catwalk please.

Golden Thread Award Fashion Week Poland AW 2011 Marcellous

After a series of mainly Polish announcements the lengthy catwalk show began. This was separated into two sections: Pret a Porter and Premiere Vision – the sort of couture section, though I would have struggled to define the two apart myself. Two bum-numbing hours later Marcellous was hauled onto the catwalk to present a gift from Kenzo Takada and then we arose for a break… which mainly consisted of heading for the free Stock vodka bar in the VIP lounge upstairs.

Golden Thread Award Fashion Week Poland AW 2011

Then, round two, we had the awards ceremony, again conducted mainly in Polish so I could only really hazard a guess at what was going on. How’s this for a summary: lots of awards were basically given to the same few designers, who struggled to balance their gifts in their arms.

Monika Jaworska Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011
Monika Jaworska‘s Modus Vivendi collection which won the Pret-a-porter division at The Golden Thread Awards, AW 2011

Agnieszka Kowalska Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011
Agnieszka Kowalska, winner of the Premiere Vision category at The Golden Thread Awards. A/W 2011

The major prize Pret a Porter went to Monika Jaworska for her Modus Vivendi collection… sweet enough but not my favourite by a long shot. In the Premiere Vision category Agnieska Kowalska was a worthy winner for her flouncy tea-stained collection Sza?apot, definitely one of the strongest on the catwalk. If I’d been choosing winners both Dominika Piekutowska Swed and Paulina Matuszelanska would definitely have figured in there somewhere.

Dominika Piekutowska Swed Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011
Dominika Piekutowska Swed.

Paulina Matuszelanska Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011
Paulina Matuszelanska.

I’d say check out The Golden Thread award website for more information, but as with many designers in Poland the website for the award does not appear to be a priority – it’s pretty basic to say the least. Business-like, it might even be fair to say. Hardly inspiring stuff given the nature of the award, which is a wonderful kickstart for creative young Polish fashion designers.

Coming up: a run down of each show, with my analysis of Polish fashion trends…

Categories ,A/W 2011, ,Agnieska Kowalska, ,Celebrity, ,competition, ,couture, ,Dog, ,Dominika Piekutowska Swed, ,Fashion Week Poland, ,french, ,Golden Thread Awards, ,graduate, ,Jack Russell, ,Kenzo Takada, ,Lodz, ,Marcellous, ,Modus Vivendi, ,Monika Jaworska, ,Paprocki & Brzozowski, ,Paulina Matuszelanska, ,Phaedra, ,poland, ,Polish, ,Premiere Vision, ,Pret-a-porter, ,Stock vodka, ,Szałapot, ,The Golden Thread, ,VIP, ,Złota Nitka

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Amelia’s Magazine | The Golden Thread Awards at Fashion Week Poland A/W 2011: Colourful Patterns

Jo Cheung_Sofie Gauden Golden Thread AW 2011
Sofie Gauden AW 2011 by Jo Cheung.

Very few Golden Thread designers really embraced colour and pattern. But these ones did.

Natalia Paliy Golden Thread Poland Fashion Week AW 2011 by Michalis Christodoulou
Natalia Paliy AW 2011 by Michalis Christodoulou.

Natalia Paliy
Natalia Paliy Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Natalia Paliy Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Natalia Paliy Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Natalia Paliy Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Natalia Paliy Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Natalia Paliy Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Natalia Paliy Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Natalia Paliy Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Natalia Paliy Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011
Natalia Paliy really set her own pace with a happy tune mashup and an eager parade of smiling models in summery flower prints sent straight down to the end of the catwalk in a phalanx. The styling was bloody awful but the prints were rather lovely underneath it all… who knows if she was responsible for them herself? And was this really Fall/Winter I ask you?!

Domi Grzybek by Hannah Simpson
Domi Grzybek by Hannah Simpson.

Domi Grzybek
Domi Grzybek Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Domi Grzybek Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Domi Grzybek Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Domi Grzybek Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Domi Grzybek Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Domi Grzybek Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Domi Grzybek Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011
Domi Grzybek paraded coral fitted jackets with gold sequin pants, viagra 100mg slouchy 80s influenced numbers with wide shoulders, viagra drop crotch nappy pants, plastic capes and patchwork body con dresses which had the air of Holly Fulton and Christopher Kane some seasons back. I liked the colour palette, but there was a major problem with poor tailoring: badly fitted bodycon dresses are never a good plan.

Katharina Kubiak
Katharina Kubiak Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Katharina Kubiak Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Katharina Kubiak Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Katharina Kubiak Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Katharina Kubiak Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Katharina Kubiak Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Katharina Kubiak Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Katharina Kubiak Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Katharina Kubiak Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Katharina Kubiak Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011
Katharina Kubiak‘s over the top womenswear styling was a total dog’s dinner but her printed mix and match aesthetic worked well on shorts suits for men. I liked them a lot… now she just needs to concentrate on what she does best.

Sofie Gauden Golden Thread AW 2011Jo Cheung
Sofie Gauden AW 2011 by Jo Cheung.

Sofie Gaudaen
Sofie Gaudaen Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Sofie Gaudaen Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Sofie Gaudaen Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Sofie Gaudaen Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Sofie Gaudaen Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Sofie Gaudaen Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011Sofie Gaudaen Golden Thread Fashion Week Poland AW 2011
Sofie Gaudaen ended the evening with a collection of neon rave shamans: barefooted models sporting plenty of feathers and fringing. I loved the colours but it was not the strongest showing of the night to end on…

Categories ,A/W 2011, ,Christopher Kane, ,colour, ,Domi Grzybek, ,Fashion Philosophy Fashion Week Poland, ,Fashion Week Poland, ,Hannah Simpson, ,Holly Fulton, ,Jo Cheung, ,Katharina Kubiak, ,Lodz, ,Natalia Paliy, ,poland, ,Polish, ,Premiere Vision, ,Pret-a-porter, ,print, ,Shamen, ,Sofie Gaudaen, ,Sofie Gauden, ,Stock vodka, ,Szałapot, ,The Golden Thread, ,Złota Nitka

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Ziad Ghanem


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Aysim Genc

In the hotbox that is Vauxhall Fashion Scout‘s Freemasons Hall venue, approved Ziad Ghanem was about to return to the catwalk in dramatic fashion, symptoms and we would not expect anything less. He’d already tweeted that he’d received up to 3000 ticket requests for his show, about it and while I’m not sure there were that many there, it was bloody packed. We were asked to make more and more room for new guests, to the point where I was almost spooning the girl sitting next to me. And it was SO HOT.


Marnie Scarlet for Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Gilly Rochester

One guy, wearing an outfit only suitable for the front row, idled up and down the catwalk in the hope that someone lesser dressed would offer up his seat. Luckily they managed to squeeze him in a little further down from me. Thank God, I thought – imagine wearing a toilet seat on your head and having to sit fifth! Mortifying.

As I made eyes at Amelia across the catwalk, something rather dramatic happened in the photographer’s pit. A loud bang, as if somebody had fallen, came first – everybody spun to see what was going on. A girl was struggling to maintain her balance and let out a yelp and it was clear that there were some photographers missing. The guy sitting next to me was certain he’d seen fisticuffs; as the photographers vied for space, one had lamped another. It was all very confusing and a little distressing, not least to resist the urge to stand up and cry ‘FIGHT!‘ Ziad, being the gentleman that he is, took to Facebook post-show to offer any injured parties a free outfit. What a lovely man.


Photography by Amelia Gregory

There ain’t no better show suited to a bit of pre-start drama. After the hysteria had settled down and I’d lost a few more pounds in sweat (never a bad thing), the show commenced. This particular collection is inspired by profound Polish film Matka Joanna (Mother Joan); a dark tale of the demonic possession of nuns. Well, what were you expecting? Floaty floral dresses? I don’t think so.


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Rukmunal Hakim

It’s hard to describe what really happens at a Ziad show. You can’t say ‘the dresses were long’ or ‘the skirts were short’ because every piece is unique and that’s just how Ziad does it. We had a couple walk first, the gent in a cropped white organza jacket, the lady in a glamorous pale pink dress, both with flowers atop their heads and big red eyes.


Photography by Tim Adey

We had performance artist Mr Pustra, who skipped in wearing an exaggarated black ensemble and red PVC gloves, and Marnie Scarlet, wearing one of Ziad’s bridal creations – layer upon layer of white silk and tulle, teamed as any bride would with white PVC leggings. Marnie entered the arena with a PVC umbrella that showered her with rose petals when she opened it.


Photography by Matt Bramford

Intense colours are always the flavour of these shows – this time around monochrome and red threaded the collection together. We had a floor-length translucent number, worn sans underwear. The funny thing is I was thinking I hadn’t seen any vaginas this season after VaginaGate a year ago, and I thought to myself I really wish I hadn’t thought to myself that I hadn’t seen any vaginas, because I suspect that’s why I did.


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Helena Maratheftis

The rest of the couture pieces celebrated Ziad Ghanem‘s exceptional talent when it comes to making clothes, and it wasn’t all about spectacle. A fishtail gown with incredible lace detail brought audible gasps from the audience and had that timeless quality like the grand dressmakers that precede him. Of course, it was sexed up with leather gloves. Then came a selection of paint-splattered pieces in allsorts of vibrant colours that would have made for a complete collection (and were borderline wearable) if this had not been the mighty Ziad.

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory


Photography by Amelia Gregory

The show featured the usual roll call of weird and wonderful models, including DJ Jackee Word, dancer Laura Cherry (who modelled the aforementioned fishtail dress) and singer Tanya Valensi who looked fiece in a less whacky micro dress with incredible embellishment. My favourite model in this show (and in any, for that matter) has to be Ziad‘s ‘favourite niece’ Janet Younan. A girl aged no more than 10 or 11 sashayed down the catwalk like a bridesmaid from a fairytale with as much confidence and swagger as any other model could muster. The crowd went NUTS for this, and quite rightly – Janet really werked it and looked overjoyed when she brought her uncle out for a post-show bow.


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Claire Kearns

Amelia and I both remarked that this collection was a little less cohesive than previous seasons, but then this is Ziad Ghanem we’re talking about – master of craftsmanship, creator of drama and intensity and master couturier. Some of the shows you see begin with one outfit and change very little throughout, sometimes making you ponder if they’ve actually made a mistake and sent the same model in the same frock out twice. But you’d never get that at a Ziad Ghanem show – no way José. This was a celebration of haute fashion, of everybody’s beauty, and of a designer’s ability to do whatever the hell he likes.


Photography by Matt Bramford

Long live Ziad Ghanem.

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review

Watch the show in full here:

Categories ,Amelia, ,Aysim Genc, ,Claire Kearns, ,couture, ,Fight, ,film, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Front Row, ,Gilly Rochester, ,Helena Maratheftis, ,Jackee Word, ,Janet Younan, ,Laura Cherry, ,London Fashion Week, ,Marnie Scarlet, ,Matka Joanna, ,Matt Bramford, ,Mr Pustra, ,Nuns, ,Organza, ,Photographers Pit, ,Polish, ,review, ,Rukmunal Hakim, ,S/S 2012, ,SS12, ,Tanya Valensi, ,twitter, ,VaginaGate, ,Vaginas, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout, ,Ziad Ghanem

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Fashion Week S/S 2012 Catwalk Review: Ziad Ghanem


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Aysim Genc

In the hotbox that is Vauxhall Fashion Scout’s Freemasons Hall venue, Ziad Ghanem was about to return to the catwalk in dramatic fashion, and we would not expect anything less. He’d already tweeted that he’d received up to 3000 ticket requests for his show, and while I’m not sure there were that many there, it was bloody packed. We were asked to make more and more room for new guests, to the point where I was almost spooning the girl sitting next to me. And it was SO HOT.


Marnie Scarlet for Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Gilly Rochester

One guy, wearing an outfit only suitable for the front row, idled up and down the catwalk in the hope that someone lesser dressed would offer up his seat. Luckily they managed to squeeze him in a little further down from me. Thank God, I thought – imagine wearing a toilet seat on your head and having to sit fifth! Mortifying.

As I made eyes at Amelia across the catwalk, something rather dramatic happened in the photographer’s pit. A loud bang, as if somebody had fallen, came first – everybody spun to see what was going on. A girl was struggling to maintain her balance and let out a yelp and it was clear that there were some photographers missing. The guy sitting next to me was certain he’d seen fisticuffs; as the photographers vied for space, one had lamped another. It was all very confusing and a little distressing, not least to resist the urge to stand up and cry ‘FIGHT!‘ Ziad, being the gentleman that he is, took to Facebook post-show to offer any injured parties a free outfit. What a lovely man.


Photography by Amelia Gregory

There ain’t no better show suited to a bit of pre-start drama. After the hysteria had settled down and I’d lost a few more pounds in sweat (never a bad thing), the show commenced. This particular collection is inspired by profound Polish film Matka Joanna (Mother Joan); a dark tale of the demonic possession of nuns. Well, what were you expecting? Floaty floral dresses? I don’t think so.


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Rukmunal Hakim

It’s hard to describe what really happens at a Ziad show. You can’t say ‘the dresses were long’ or ‘the skirts were short’ because every piece is unique and that’s just how Ziad does it. We had a couple walk first, the gent in a cropped white organza jacket, the lady in a glamorous pale pink dress, both with flowers atop their heads and big red eyes.


Photography by Tim Adey

We had performance artist Mr Pustra, who skipped in wearing an exaggarated black ensemble and red PVC gloves, and Marnie Scarlet, wearing one of Ziad’s bridal creations – layer upon layer of white silk and tulle, teamed as any bride would with white PVC leggings. Marnie entered the arena with a PVC umbrella that showered her with rose petals when she opened it.


Photography by Matt Bramford

Intense colours are always the flavour of these shows – this time around monochrome and red threaded the collection together. We had a floor-length translucent number, worn sans underwear. The funny thing is I was thinking I hadn’t seen any vaginas this season after VaginaGate a year ago, and I thought to myself I really wish I hadn’t thought to myself that I hadn’t seen any vaginas, because I suspect that’s why I did.


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Helena Maratheftis

The rest of the couture pieces celebrated Ziad Ghanem’s exceptional talent when it comes to making clothes, and it wasn’t all about spectacle. A fishtail gown with incredible lace detail brought audible gasps from the audience and had that timeless quality like the grand dressmakers that precede him. Of course, it was sexed up with leather gloves. Then came a selection of paint-splattered pieces in allsorts of vibrant colours that would have made for a complete collection (and were borderline wearable) if this had not been the mighty Ziad.

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review photo amelia gregory


Photography by Amelia Gregory

The show featured the usual roll call of weird and wonderful models, including DJ Jackee Word, dancer Laura Cherry (who modelled the aforementioned fishtail dress) and singer Tanya Valensi who looked fiece in a less whacky micro dress with incredible embellishment. My favourite model in this show (and in any, for that matter) has to be Ziad’s ‘favourite niece’ Janet Younan. A girl aged no more than 10 or 11 sashayed down the catwalk like a bridesmaid from a fairytale with as much confidence and swagger as any other model could muster. The crowd went NUTS for this, and quite rightly – Janet really werked it and looked overjoyed when she brought her uncle out for a post-show bow.


Ziad Ghanem S/S 2012 by Claire Kearns

Amelia and I both remarked that this collection was a little less cohesive than previous seasons, but then this is Ziad Ghanem we’re talking about – master of craftsmanship, creator of drama and intensity and master couturier. Some of the shows you see begin with one outfit and change very little throughout, sometimes making you ponder if they’ve actually made a mistake and sent the same model in the same frock out twice. But you’d never get that at a Ziad Ghanem show – no way José. This was a celebration of haute fashion, of everybody’s beauty, and of a designer’s ability to do whatever the hell he likes.


Photography by Matt Bramford

Long live Ziad Ghanem.

Ziad Ghanem SS 2012 review

Watch the show in full here:




Categories ,Amelia, ,Aysim Genc, ,Claire Kearns, ,couture, ,Fight, ,film, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Front Row, ,Gilly Rochester, ,Helena Maratheftis, ,Jackee Word, ,Janet Younan, ,Laura Cherry, ,London Fashion Week, ,Marnie Scarlet, ,Matka Joanna, ,Matt Bramford, ,Mr Pustra, ,Nuns, ,Organza, ,Photographers Pit, ,Polish, ,review, ,Rukmunal Hakim, ,S/S 2012, ,SS12, ,Tanya Valensi, ,twitter, ,VaginaGate, ,Vaginas, ,Vauxhall Fashion Scout, ,Ziad Ghanem

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Amelia’s Magazine | Meet Mateusz Napieralski: Featured Artist from That Which We Do Not Understand

Amelias_magazine_TWWDNU_mateusz_napieralski_tribal_cumulusAmelias_magazine_TWWDNU_mateusz_napieralski_tribal_cumulus
Mateusz Napieralski (also known as Gust of Wind) works from a studio in London, where he explores the relationship between the handmade and the digital. Tribal Cumulus explores the unknown powers of mystic rituals, where humans and nature merge during ceremonial, hypnotic trances. His bold colours and textures show the powerful energy that is generated but can’t be seen by the human eye. Real gold leaf is used as highlights throughout the illustration.

Mateusz Napieralski
How did you put your illustration together?
I wanted to create an abstract composition capturing the invisible energies created during mystical rituals and dances. I started with sketches of forms, textures and abstract shapes, which I then collage together. I then scanned in my original sketch and carried on with the composition in Illustrator. I like how much freedom digitalizing my sketches gives me. I love playing with scale, movement and placement of all the shapes. Once I was happy with the layout I started applying colour; experimenting with colour palettes is a very enjoyable part of the process for me. Although it’s also quite dangerous, because I end up with many different options and can’t decide which one I like the most!

Mateusz Napieralski 4
What attracted you to the open brief?
I’ve been a big fan of Amelia’s Magazine for good few years and contributed some editorial work in the past. I think the open briefs are such great opportunities for young designers and illustrators to test and develop their skills. This particular brief was very special, because it is such a broad, open topic, which could be interpreted in so many ways, especially when you think of all the different artists involved and their approaches. I also loved the idea of seeing my work printed in gold, because I have never had a chance to experiment with gold leaf printing techniques.

Mateusz Napieralski 6
Your day job involves motion design, how does this feed into your graphic design and illustration work?
I always enjoyed working across different disciplines and mediums, and motion graphics and animation have been present in my work for the past 4 years or so. I think it also gives me that edge to think about my illustration work in different ways and think how the characters and forms I create could work in terms of movement. I think there is also this flowy, smooth feel to my character design and composition, which I guess also comes from the moving image side of things. I guess being able to animate also makes my work a little bit more relevant, as clients are now moving faster into moving image based mediums, and it’s definitely an exciting time for illustrators – everyone loves seeing their work come to life through animation!

Mateusz-Napieralski-what_happens_at_night
You are a member of Just Us Collective – who is in your collective and what have you been up together?
Just Us Collective was established quite a few years ago to promote up and coming talent of designers/illustrators and makers that are in full time education (usually in their final year of studies). I became a member during my final year of studies with about 30 others from around the country, working across various disciplines. Since joining Just Us I took part in a group show which was held at Beach London, and I also pitched some illustrations for an online stationary shop.

Mateusz Napieralski 3
How much has your Polish background influenced the way that you create? and in what way?
I can certainly say that my style and thinking about illustration has been influenced by being exposed as a kid to some beautiful Polish illustrations and Polish poster design. I am in love with the bold graphic shapes of Polish folk art and I guess this comes across in my work as well since the shapes and forms I work with are usually quite bold and have that cut-out feel which is quite Polish.

Mateusz Napieralski 5
What other projects have you worked on lately? Can you share some favourites?
I’m currently working on an illustrated fairytale about a Polish Mermaid, which is quite exciting as this is a purely illustration based project, which I haven’t done in a while. The final outcome will be a little illustrated fairytale zine. I’ve also been busy with making some santa-lovers to start feeling a little bit more Christmasy. I’m also working on a little branding project, but it’s still early stages, so stay tuned for more on that.

Showreel from Mateusz Napieralski on Vimeo.

Please share with us any plans you have for Gust of Wind in the coming year…
I’m currently trying to develop my style and apply it to even more mediums, for instance I would like to look at product design and see how my work could translate in that area. I want to carry on working for various clients and see where Gust of Wind takes me. I’d like to experiment more with moving image, I think it would be great to have some bigger projects to work on. I love identity and branding, I think I would like to find an opportunity to create some playful, bold illustration led identity project. That would be a dream!

Read what Mateusz has to say about his artwork here and pledge for your limited edition gold leafed print on my Kickstarter campaign here.

Categories ,Beach London, ,Gust of Wind, ,illustration, ,illustrator, ,interview, ,Jan Witwicki, ,Just Us Collective, ,Mateusz Napieralski, ,Mermaid, ,Polish, ,Tribal Cumulus

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Amelia’s Magazine | Free Range at the Truman Brewery: Best of the Rest Photography Graduate Show 2011 Review

Chris Spackman Unstill Life
Chris Spackman’s Unstill Life.

There was so much to see at the Free Range photography shows that I’ve decided to amalgamate the rest or I fear I will never get it all written up. Here then are the best of the rest.

Chris Spackman daffodils
Chris Spackman tulips
I liked the Unstill Life from Chris Spackman at Farnham Foto Flux – long exposures of flower arrangements as they keel over and die are oddly beautiful.

Farnham Foto Flux degree show Free Range 2011-Charity Lamb
Farnham Foto Flux degree show Free Range 2011-Charity Lamb
Charity Lamb experiments with destruction of traditional photography norms, medications and for her degree show she had layered painting and photography in My Mother’s Painting, about it which documents the destruction of one of her mother’s paintings.

Michaela Haider
Michaela Haider‘s project Con te Partiro was an intriguing documentary exploration in to cultural identity. Her grandmother was born in Italy but has spent most of her life in the UK.

Marc Baker
For Marc Baker Untitled was a fuzzy view of people moving about their banal everyday life, similar in theme to Marie Helgesen’s project at Swansea Met.

University of West London degree show Free Range 2011-Kitty Kaur
University of West London had some nice photo documentary work of the Sikh community from Kitty Kaur.

Rick Hanley Uncovering Masculinity
Rick Hanley Uncovering Masculinity
Rick Hanley Uncovering Masculinity
Rick Hanley focused on representation of the male to create layered images inspired by Francis Galton for Uncovering Masculinity – the results were fuzzy identities which aim to challenge the stereotypical representation of males in media and advertising as they enter different decades of their lives.

University of West London degree show Free Range 2011-Lizi Barker
Lizi Barker had produced a series of Case Studies, old display cases showcasing the objects and images that mean the most to a selection of individuals. The results were charmingly mysterious.

Barking and Dagenham College London degree show Free Range 2011-Chantal Weekes
I was attracted to the strange composite photos of Chantal Weekes at the Barking and Dagenham College exhibition Back in 10 Minutes. It’s All About Me focused on a small child’s fantasy world.

Abbie Jacqueline Hart Disillusioned Daughter
Abbie Jacqueline Hart also went for a disjointed effect, layering images on top of each other in Disillusioned Daughter.

Barking and Dagenham College London degree show Free Range 2011-Jack Florish
Barking and Dagenham College London degree show Free Range 2011-Jack Florish
Jack Florish had created a selection from scratched and messed up negatives.

Barking and Dagenham College London degree show Free Range 2011-Melissa Aherne
Melissa Aherne deserves special mention for her box of prints with the sign Please Do Not Nick My Prints!! scrawled beneath them. My dear, it’s best to be polite to visitors! Anyone taking your pictures had surely not realised they should not so you probably didn’t make it clear in the first place…

New College Swindon Photography degree show Free Range 2011-Far Away and Nearby Claire McDowall New College Swindon Photography degree show Free Range 2011-Far Away and Nearby Claire McDowall
New College Swindon Photography degree show Free Range 2011-Far Away and Nearby Claire McDowall
The students from New College Swindon are predominantly concerned with commercial photography practice but they showed their final degree wares in some exciting installations, Nine Lives, at Free Range. For Far Away and Nearby Claire McDowall had brought a whole baby tree into the building.

New College Swindon Photography degree show Free Range 2011-Sabina Paprocka New College Swindon Photography degree show Free Range 2011-Sabina Paprocka
Sabina Paprocka looked at the British Dream from a Polish perspective. Follow Sabina Paprocka on Twitter.

Cleveland College of Art and Design London degree show Free Range 2011 Jessica Lauren Smith
Finally at Cleveland College of Art and Design I liked photography by Jessica Lauren Smith, a project heavily influenced by memory and landscape, it was beautifully printed in old style black and white analogue print. Unfortunately it was quite hard to take a good photo!

Categories ,2011, ,Abbie Jacqueline Hart, ,Back in 10 Minutes, ,Barking and Dagenham College, ,British Dream, ,Case Studies, ,Chantal Weekes, ,Charity Lamb, ,Chris Spackman, ,Claire McDowall, ,Cleveland College of Art and Design, ,collage, ,Con te Partiro, ,Cultural Identity, ,Disillusioned Daughter, ,Far Away and Nearby, ,Farnham Foto Flux, ,Francis Galton, ,Free Range, ,Graduate Shows, ,It’s All About Me, ,Jack Florish, ,Jessica Lauren Smith, ,Kitty Kaur, ,Lizi Barker, ,Marc Baker, ,Marie Helgesen, ,Melissa Aherne, ,Michaela Haider, ,My Mother’s Painting, ,New College Swindon, ,photography, ,Polish, ,Rick Hanley, ,Sabina Paprocka, ,Sikh community, ,UCA Farnham, ,Uncovering Masculinity, ,University of West London, ,Unstill Life, ,Untitled

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Ewelina Skowronska: Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featured artist.

ewelina_skowronska_season for everything
Ewelina Skowronska is a Polish born illustrator now relocated in London, where she creates abstracted work inspired by how we interact with the landscape. Her colouring book piece as inspired by the dramatic landscapes of the Altiplano of Bolivia.

ewelina_skowronska picture
When did you come to the UK and what brought you here?
I came to London two years ago when I decided to study Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts. I had researched different schools and courses and it turned out that Camberwell course is one of the best. I got accepted and I got a full scholarship, so there was no way back, I had to come.

ewelina skowronska_all
Why did you decide to move from copywriting into illustration and how has your previous career impacted the way that you see the visual world?
I always liked to draw and paint, but when after graduating form high school I didn’t get place in one of Polish Art Universities (they used to accept like 6-12 people per year) I just got doubts about myself, my skills and was thinking that only a few people can do art and it is so exclusive. So I was very happy to be able to work as a creative in advertising agencies. However I still felt that I would like to do something else. All this time I was still drawing, mostly for myself and friends, and one day I just decided that why not to do something more with it. So I just took a risk – quit my job, moved to London and went back to school at the age of 33 ;-)

I worked in advertising for over 6 years, so I learned a lot and met some amazing people. I don’t regret this time as it definitely influenced my way of thinking and my design skills. And compared to younger recent graduates, I am just more advanced in this – let’s call it a professional way of working, multitasking and managing my time, as I simply have so much experience behind me.

ewelina_skowronska copy
How did the MA at Camberwell help you to expand your work style?
During my two short years at Camberwell I have had to learn almost everything from scratch as I didn’t have any previous art education. So from almost every point of view Camberwell has influenced me. But I think the biggest things for me to learn were experimenting with new tools and techniques, research and of course print making, and screen printing in particular.

ewelina_skowronska_alice
What is it about screen printing that you find particularly attractive and what is your favourite part of the process?
I am fascinated with screen printing and ways of pushing its boundaries, wondering how the process of mark making together with all the mistakes and limitations of screen printing can influence the art work and at the end tell a story. Even though I plan my work I always leave room for spontaneity of process and some decision making that can apply only during printing. I like this uncertainty and constant problem solving as well as the physical aspect of screen printing.

ewelina_skowronska_time to heel
How do you attempt to portray the relationships between people and surroundings?
This is a very personal way of thinking about the world that surround us: why we do what we do, how we make decisions, live our lives, be in the city. I want to understand each part of the system that surrounds us, even every little sub-system that is part of the bigger one. So I am trying to deconstruct these systems into smaller parts, then put them back in a different way, together with the natural noise that also surrounds us.

ewelina skowronska_colouring book
What particular landscapes inspired your artwork for my colouring book?
I recently travelled to South America and I visited the Altiplano in Bolivia. The landscape surrounding there was just stunning and I just couldn’t believe that there was so much surrealistic beauty and space around me. It influenced me a lot and I know that this will probably be the next subject for my bigger project.

ewelina_skowronska_Time to live
How did you set about illustrating the Future Makers?
It was a great project set by Agnieszka Hatalska, who is a well known Polish blogger and specialist about alternative ways in marketing communication. Illustrating this was quite easy as I got to read all these inspiring interviews by Agnieszka with famous futurologists. All of them were talking about our everyday life in the quite near future – what was very interesting – and collaborating with her on initial ideas made this whole project amazing to work on.

ewelina_skowronska_space
What has been your favourite commercial commission so far and why?
Every commission is different so there is always something new to learn, especially if you are an emerging illustrator and artist. But so far the Future Makers is my favourite project that I have worked on because it was also the first time I had to make 14 illustrations that had to work individually as well as a whole.

ewelina_skowronska_ruls
Can you tell us more about Drawing the World?
It is still kind of secret but what I can tell you is that 30 students from UAL have been invited to produce drawings that will involve working with both old and new technologies – so mobile phones will be our way of communication and our drawing medium will be chalk. The event is organised by Professor Stephen Farthing, The Rootstein Hopkins Chair of Drawing, and will be held on Sunday 11 October 2015 at CSM.


I’ll continue to introduce the contributors to Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion before my Kickstarter campaign launches (in October!), so do keep checking in to the website.

Categories ,Agnieszka Hatalska, ,alitplano, ,Altiplano, ,Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, ,Camberwell College of Arts, ,Drawing the World, ,Ewelina Skowronska, ,Future Makers, ,Polish, ,Professor Stephen Farthing

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Kaja Szechowsko: Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featured artist.

Kaja Szechowsko
Kaja Szechowsko is a Polish illustrator and jewellery designer who was inspired by her range of necklaces to create a surreal double page for Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featuring Siamese twins. She tells us about the woodland of Lodz, aleatory concepts that have inspired a book she is making, and the idea of travelling through life as a hitch-hiker.

Kaja Szechowsko
Why did you decide to study sculpture and how has that informed the way that you design and create art today?
I attended a preparatory course for drawing at my university, and I was rather thinking about choosing graphic arts later. One day I lost a doll that I had pinned to my bag. It was a plush miniature of me that I had sewn and I called it my Voodoo Doll. I was upset and when I went in to my course the next day, I told my friend about the loss. And to my surprise he said: “Really? I saw it sitting on a pedestal in the hall. I thought you had an exhibition.” And there I found her, and so I found my place. I feel that the biggest thing I learned while studing sculpture was a way of thinking, of analysing my work, and making myself question it as if I was somebody else. All the rest is some kind of sensibilty that remains the same, regardless of medium.

Kaja Szechowsko
Where do you go for an injection of inspiration in the city of Lodz?
It’s difficult to say now, it’s somehow the city of my past, and everything reminds me about something that I don’t need anymore. As for today my favourite place is the forest on the outskirts, near my parents hause. It’s neutral enough and meaningless to feel comfortable.

Kaja Szechowsko
You run a jewellery brand called OMG! Jewels – how did you learn how to make jewellery, what features in your current range and how are the pieces made?
My jewels are just miniature sculptures. I didn’t take any special courses. It all started with a necklace portrait of my flatmate’s dog that I made for her birthday. It turned out so cool that I decided to make some more. The first collection is made up of necklaces featuring different kinds of creatures such as unicorns, holy sheep, slugs, meat-eating plants and animal skulls. Some of them are a little creepy, others are just lovely, however all of them are at least a little kitsch. I can reveal that the new collection will be even more freaky and will use an illustration medium.

Kaja Szechowsko double spread
Who or what inspired your colouring page artwork?
One of the necklaces I have made for OMG! Jewels features my favourite Siamese doll, who is also the protagonist of my colouring pages.

Kaja Szechowsko
You’ve moved around a lot in the past few years – what has taken you across Europe and what have you done to keep your creativity alive on the go?
Generally, I have terrible feelings that I’ll suffocate if I stay in one place too long. Usually there is some small indication that I follow. Once I found a little Eiffel Tower below my feet. Another time, I read about a place in one of Roberto Bolaño‘s books. And so on. It seems like a childish play, or maybe it’s just a selective subconscience, but I find it magical. I try to work in the conditions in which I find myself; it’s a little hard and I’d like to improve that point of the story. I was working in an artistic recidency and I have had some other temporary studios, but I feel now I need another quality of working calmness.

Kaja Szechowsko
What is your preferred process to create an illustration?
I work mainly with traditional techniques using paints and crayons. I like this process, I find it relieving. I use the computer only to put things together. Generally I wouldn’t really mind a life without a computer. I feel it destroys all the magic, both in life and art.

Kaja Szechowsko
Who is your new illustrated book Bad Herbs aimed at and what kind of ideas will it feature?
It’s definitely aimed at adults. It’s based on an aleatory concept that I invented. The drawings are only a pretext. It’s more or less about randomness and choice. But I cannot reveal more, because then, there won’t be a surprise anymore :).

Kaja Szechowsko
Where are you based now and what are your plans for the future?
Currently I’m not based anywhere at all. I’m just passing my mental SPA holidays in my parents hause, stroking my beloved cat Alisek and planning the brightest ever future. I’ve just left Barcelona with a deep conviction that I’ll never go back again, although I left all my stuff there. It’s irrational, but typical for me. I have a lot of plans for the future! When I finish the book it will surely satisfy my illustration hunger, and I’d like to go back to creating my mechanical toys, which I have abandoned for some time. And then travel, travel and look for the new adventures, and somewhere in the middle build a place where I can rest and work in peace.

Kaja Szechowsko
What was the most inspiring part of your travels?
It was surely the aspect of the unknown and the whole range of possibilities open to me, the uncertainty about what will happen and the complete certainty that something (whatever) will happen. I love the idea of life as a kind of hitchhicking experience. Another thing is that I like a change of scenery (or at least a scenography), at that point when I’m catching myself looking, but no longer seeing. When I getting used to something, it’s like the first sign I am getting languid.

Kaja Szechowsko 02
Where else do you look for inspiration?
In the dreams. I’m really good at remembering my dreams. Currently I’m trying to learn some techniques of lucid dreaming, to have still more fun. However as for now, the result has been completely the opposite and I just fall asleep immediately or don’t remember anything at all.

Preorder your copy of Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion to arrive in January and don’t miss out on the opportunity to colour unique artwork created by 44 artists from all over the world. Just click here.

Categories ,#ameliasccc, ,Alisek, ,Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, ,Bad Herbs, ,Colouring Book, ,etsy, ,interview, ,jewellery, ,Kaja Szechowsko, ,Lodz, ,poland, ,Polish, ,Roberto Bolaño, ,Voodoo Doll

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Amelia’s Magazine | A Summer Punch Up at Sutton House: Kotki Dwa Staycations Album Launch Party Review

Kotki Dwa Staycations CD bundle by Sam Glynn
Kotki Dwa Staycations CD bundle by Sam Glynn

Staycations. A word us Brits are getting more and more used to: when the sun shines, there is honestly just no place like home. Great Britain has been the centre of attention this summer. After all, if it’s good enough for world record holders and a Queen, it’s good enough for us. The beautiful rolling green hills, still blues lakes and near-empty endless beaches. We’re spoilt for these spots, everywhere. So why not celebrate them? Forget the rain and embrace our terrain right? Right. Amelia’s Magazine music favourites, Kotki Dwa, well and truly do. So much so, Staycations is the title of their follow-up album. But wait… Here comes a very interesting tale.

While fans sat patiently waiting for second record news, the boys Alex, Tom and Tristan, were hatching quite the plan. An idea long in the making, came true this summer on 2nd July, the release date of the album. And this plan? To ask the National Trust to be their record label. They gave a firm yes!

Kotki Dwa Cakes by Abi Renshaw
Kotki Dwa rice paper printed jam cupcakes by Abi Renshaw

So we’ve all been to a National Trust property right? Yes? Well there are over two hundred historic houses open to the public. Your folks probably took you to an endless amount as a kid. Visiting these properties seemed like a staple part of growing up. Now I’ve hopefully got you reminiscing, it’s filled you with fond memories hasn’t it. The pristine gardens (with a maze if you were lucky), the delicious dairy ice cream from the café, the views from high above. Kotki Dwa thought the same. Dreamt up by the boys, which must feel like an awfully long time ago now, was this rather genius idea. Once they secured the all-important ‘yes’, the possibilities became endless. They knew exactly that this would open all kinds of (historic and stately) doors – to be inspired by, write about and record in.

A Summer Punch Up on Saturday 14th July was their big night. The album was out there, glowing reviews were flowing from Pitchfork, the Guardian and the BBC. This launch party was set to go off. Plus, the venue was quite special in it’s own right. Many ran through the doors bang on 7pm into Sutton House, Hackney’s oldest house and a National Trust gem. So much so, Alex spilled they wrote a track based on its ghost. Buried deep in Homerton, 80 lucky people got to party in this property, built in 1535 by a prominent courtier of Henry VIII. WOW. The Summer (it was raining) Punch Up started with the twilight punch picnic.

Cucumber triangle sandwiches, scotch eggs, jam filled cupcakes with their Polish name on rice paper (lovely touch and too pretty to eat) and flower cakes fashioned in plant pots with Oreo ‘soil’. Delicious.

Kotki Dwa Summer Punch by Edie OP
The Summer Punch Up cocktails menu by Edie OP

They even had themed cocktails after three of their songs. Outside in the bunting-filled courtyard was an ice cream cart. Pay a donation for a scrummy pot of Taywell and cover it in their home-made Pimms syrup. Yeah!

Supporting Kotki Dwa were two fantastic bands, Glaciers and Niteflights. Each surrounded by Kotki Dwa’s British holiday themed set of picnic hampers, hay bales and a snorkel. Once the twilight picnic had gone down and the dancing to both bands over, it was to be their finest hour. The first quarter of the hall filled with the 80 strong crowd. I’m pretty small in height so was pleased with my wing position right by the grand piano, oohhh. The room was beautiful, with its red walls and high beams. Sticking to songs solely from Staycations, you could just see it in their faces, how happy they were they’d got to here. The idea had become an album, and it was rattling that ghost upstairs no doubt. I very much enjoyed the heavily loud instrumental ending of The Wolf, and the single Poison required some serious dancing. The absolute highlight for me was during the song Staycations. A girl dressed in a crab costume was throwing beach balls into the crowd to lyrics such as ‘you la la like it when we go away’ and ‘didn’t I read that sunshine repairs your sanity’. A fantastic night ending with a disco hosted by DJs Midnight A-Go-Go and NZCA/LINES.

Kotki Dwa King Crab by Dan Morison
King Crab by Dan Morison

Oh to re-live that night all over again, yes please! I did the next best thing, I quizzed singer Alex about how they bagged the National Trust as their label and where you can see them play live this summer: read my interview with Alex Ostrowski here.

Categories ,A Summer Punch Up, ,Abi Renshaw, ,Alex Ostrowski, ,Bandcamp, ,BBC, ,Beach balls, ,Box Hill, ,bunting, ,Crab costume, ,Dan Morison, ,Edie OP, ,Geoffrey Taylor, ,Ghost, ,Glaciers, ,Great Britain, ,hackney, ,Halloween video, ,Harpsichord, ,Hattie Newman, ,Homerton, ,Ice Cream, ,Kotki Dwa, ,Lake District, ,Limited edition CDs, ,Lunch EP, ,National Trust, ,Niteflights, ,Picnic hampers, ,Pimm’s, ,Pitchfork, ,Polish, ,Queen, ,Recording, ,Robin’s Clogs, ,Sam Glynn, ,Sam Parr, ,Scotch eggs, ,Staycations, ,Sun shine, ,Sutton House, ,Taywell, ,The Guardian, ,Triangle sandwiches, ,Twilight picnic punch, ,World record holder, ,YCN, ,Yorkshire, ,Yorkshire Dales

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Pati Yang plus free download of Wires and Sparks

pati yang by daria hlazatova
Pati Yang by Daria Hlazatova.

You’ve had an extremely interesting life – starting with six years on tour as a youngster with your dad’s punk band – how did that influence your outlook?
It gave me this sense of freedom that somehow clashed with reality. Poland was under an extreme regime at that point and I very early on noticed that our home and people that I was surrounded by were different; free, kind of …awakened… The punk movement in Poland was basically pop music in the 80′s and my dad’s band and the people around us were directly responsible for helping to bring Communism down, so it was risky, even though it was happening on a huge scale via the only major national censored record label. The movement was too big for the government to eradicate because the only free gatherings were allowed at gigs and churches. It was all about smuggling anti-system messages past the censors without getting the band members arrested, and that’s what people loved. There was so much passion! We had a real purpose, giving people hope for freedom, so hundreds of thousands of people went to those gigs and there was a kind of mass hysteria. I had this sense of the absurd, because I was navigating between two opposite worlds whilst I was going to school. I was always an outsider; I didn’t realise I was a kid. I’d hang out backstage when I was 3 and fall asleep under a stack of coats. So the main point is that I can’t stand barriers and limitations. The idea of the impossible just doesn’t occur to me. I love traditions but I am against systems, whatever they are, because they represent a lack of individual responsibility and choice, and sooner or later someone tries to abuse them.
 
pati yang
You have been on the music scene for some time, first as a solo artist supporting Depeche Mode, then as part of Children and then Flykkiller – how did you get to where you are now?
I just kept going; it gets so hard sometimes. I can be very emotional and I worry too much, which is helpful for songwriting but it’s also like shooting fireballs inside my mind. You have to listen to your gut feeling: don’t get attached to ideas, people or places and don’t make plans. It’s a chain reaction that looks like a string of coincidences but you actually know it’s not and when you see that, it becomes fun. I just meet people, I try to learn, things happen, and I am thankful every day.

pati yang by daria hlazatova
Pati Yang by Daria Hlazatova.
 
What’s the underground music scene like in Poland? Any other top tips for acts we should listen to?
I can’t say I follow it that much as I have dragged myself around the world for the past 13 years. But I came across a really cool electronic project called KAMP! recently, and I am a huge fan of Henryk Gorecki which is not very underground as he’s an iconic classical composer. I like all the vintage stuff, bands like Breakout who were total pioneers in the 60′s, then there is Komeda and some other awesome film composers.

pati yang
I’ve had Wires and Sparks from Wires and Sparks EP x 1 on my brain for weeks – why do you think this tune is so catchy?
Aw, thanks! You know the crazy thing about those EPs was that right from the start we just couldn’t pinpoint which tracks should lead them, as everyone we played the songs to would have different favourites. 


How did you come to shoot the video on a Warsaw rooftop? What is that very impressive building behind you?! it looks very gothic!
I spent most of last year in Brooklyn where bands would regularly set up guerilla gigs on rooftops and play until police took them down. One day I thought I’d be great to do that in Warsaw, so I rang a couple of friends who were film makers and we almost gate crashed this 30 storey office building on Halloween when it was empty, (turned out the security guy was a fan which helped I guess!) The building behind us is really iconic, so well spotted! It was a ‘gift of friendship’ from our Russian comrades in 1955 – there is a similar one on the Red Square in Moscow. Apparently there are rooms with no doors in it and it’s really magnificent: it has this gigantic old white marble public swimming pool in the basement, a purple velvet concert hall and a whole labyrinth of underground corridors used in the past for the Party leaders on the military parades. For the generation of our parents, it was a symbol of the Russian regime; for my generation, it’s an icon of change and chaos. I remember ending up on some amazing random rave parties there…
 
pati yang photo by anna bloda
Who is in your band? Can you introduce us to Kasia? Who does what and is anyone else involved?
I went through so many line ups and I really love to work with big bands but somehow it feels really good to have this self contained little combo right now. Kasia is an amazing talent, I met her years ago when she was in a band in Warsaw and we started working together last year. She plays keyboards, bass and she sings backing vocals. I operate my big pedal board with a little mixing desk, effects, a sampler and a guitar and percussion stuff. I have to give a big credit to Mikko, who is our sound engineer but also sort of a third invisible member of the band.

Pati Yang Illustraton by Asa Wikman © asa wikman
Pati Yang Illustraton by Asa Wikman.

What can people expect from a live Pati Yang performance?
The gigs are quite raw and stuff happens unexpectedly, but I get a real buzz out of them. I heard they’re quite emotional… 
 
pati yang photo by anna bloda
You are currently working on a full length album – what’s the day to day reality of this? Can you talk us through the process.
I recently moved back to London from New York so I have only just set up a studio where I spend most of my time, it’s still really fresh and exciting. I am in the middle of the writing process which happens in random places and times really. But then every day I just put those ideas down… at the moment I play all instruments and record vocals but I am really looking forward to getting other people involved. It’s always really touching to blend genes and see what happens if you let it go.
 
Pati Yang by Gareth A Hopkins
Pati Yang by Gareth A Hopkins.

What has been your biggest achievement to date?
These days just to carry on is a huge achievement. I know so many people who have way more talent than myself who put it on the back burner because it’s so difficult to sustain a life and not feel down about the music business these days. I have a lot of gratitude towards whatever and whoever makes me carry on. Factually, I guess I am really chuffed I had the chance to collaborate on some great soundtracks with some really super special people; they were my real teachers.
 
pati yang
Where do you currently live and what is best about that place? Where would you take a visitor and why?
I am based in North West London near Hampstead Heath. It’s really quiet and you have to walk a long way to a any cafe or a grocery store, it’s very green and there are not many people around. There is an amazing church in Hampstead; I walked into a Sunday mass by accident and the choir was seriously out of this world. It’s nice to discover those little random gems; these are the moments you won’t forget. If I had a visitor I’d take them there, and we could visit the beautiful old cemetery near the church. There is also a mini zoo in the park near my house with some really funny looking animals. So, you probably won’t find me in a hip cafe in East London – I’m not sure if I’d be any good as a tour guide.

Listen to the Wires and Sparks EP x 1 in full below, released in April. Wires and Sparks x 2 is scheduled to be released at the end of July. Get your FREE download of Jagz Kooner‘s remix of Wires and Sparks here. I can’t wait to hear the album.

Categories ,80s, ,Asa Wikman, ,Breakout, ,brooklyn, ,children, ,Communism, ,Daria Hlazatova, ,Depeche Mode, ,ep, ,Flykkiller, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,Hampstead Heath, ,Henryk Gorecki, ,interview, ,Jagz Kooner, ,KAMP!, ,Kasia, ,Komeda, ,Mikko, ,Pati Yang, ,Polish, ,punk, ,Warsaw, ,Wires and Sparks, ,Wires and Sparks EP x 1, ,Wires and Sparks x 2

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