An Interview With Artist Dagna Majewska

Please tell us a bit about yourself? 
I’m a Polish painter and illustrator, currently living in Hamburg. On a daily basis I work in an advertising agency as an art director.

What inspired you to begin your artistic career? 
I didn’t need any impulse to start my artistic career, it came naturally, my whole family is somehow strongly connected with art, I didn’t have much choice – it was the only way I knew that I could follow.

What do you do when you’re not using your creative brain? 
I hardly find time to do anything apart from my job and personal artistic work. Recently I’m getting back home from work pretty late and I’m trying to force myself to draw or paint. Whenever I have enough time I go out running to the nearby park.

Do you have any favourite artists out there? 
I’m mostly inspired by old masters, I love to snoop around museums of art, I admire mostly artist from symbolism or the romanticism period; especially Arnold Bocklin, who is a painter and who could catch the atmosphere of uncertainty that is so close to me.

Who’s your personal style icon and why?  
I was always more a punk rock girl, that’s why for me the style icon was Debbie Harry; from the platinum-blonde bleached hair and graphic T-shirts to leopard jumpsuits; I adore it all. She is bold and expressive not only as a person, but also as fashion icon, and that’s what I like about her.

Do you have a favourite piece of artwork? 
My favourite piece of artwork is “The Last Judgement” of Memling, it has variety of interesting details, I could glance at this artwork all day, like in a hypnotised state of mine. Each time I see it I always discover something I haven’t seen before.

Any exciting projects in the pipeline? 
I’m working right now on a series of mix media paintings on the wood boards. They are also in similar stylistic as my previous series “Dark Ages” but I’m trying to experiment a bit with mixing graphic prints with oil painting, trying to develop my own unique technique.

How do you see yourself in five years time?
I wish that in five years from now I will be able to live only from doing my personal work, having my own cosy atelier and being able to paint all day long. So far my plan is going well. 

Porcia Aue

Click here to view more artwork from the talented artist, Dagna Majewska.