We creatively clicked with Kasia immediately! At first, it was her detailed, emotive illustrations that drew us in....but ultimately it was our shared musical tastes that cemented our status as kindred creatives. It should have been a sign that anyone who could equally love George Michael and Daft Punk would have interest in a wonderfully wide range of artistic subjects as well. :)
Our scarf design collaborations started with an expression of Kasia's interest in both Asian art and the forces of nature resulting in the beautiful, classical Waves scarf. From there we took a detour to Club Tropicana, inspired a shared love for the Wham! song of the same name. We had so much fun letting ourselves get carried away on this colorful trip of carefree 80s pop nostalgia! With her Balance scarf design, Kasia took us to new lengths (literally) in creating our first large scale wrap-sized scarf. The incredible, fine details found in her dramatic dragon illustrations accentuated by a deep, rich colorway make this piece the ultimate luxe statement.
It has been such a pleasure to collaborate with Kasia as part of the DESEDA Artist Collective (DearCo), and it is a treat to share more about her creative perspectives in this interview. Let’s Make Ties with Kasia…Read on!
DESEDA Artist Collective (DearCo) Artist:
Kasia Niemczynska
Current Location:
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Hometown:
Rzeszow, Poland
DESEDA Scarf Designs: Waves, Club Tropicana and Balance
Please introduce yourself and share what you do!
Hi! My name is Kasia and I’m an illustrator living and working in beautiful Edinburgh, Scotland!
What was your path to becoming a creative?
I’ve always been into creative things. My grandpa was an architect and he was my favourite person in whole world (sorry mum!). I remember following him everywhere and watching him sharpening his pencils for drawings.
I would be his little helper, and they would usually have to drag me away from him to let him work ;) I think that is when I feel in love with creativity, watching my grandpa’s passion.
How do you describe your work? And, what do you hope others take away from your work?
I describe my work as girly conceptual illustration. On one hand it's delicate and fragile, but on the other hand I love to illustrate concepts that are not always so easy and pretty - relationships between women and men, humans and nature, men and the society we live in.
What motivates you to do what you do?
Every time I see something that interests me, some interaction, situation, colour, face, emotion - I feel I need to freeze that frame and share it with others. I feel it’s important. Otherwise it will go away and no one will never know about it, and that would be a waste …
Sharing our views with other is what brings us together and creates this unity between people. Without it we are lonely and miserable.
Where do you find your most significant inspiration?
I'm not going to be original here: absolutely everywhere! For example, one of my illustrations that became a DESEDA scarf was inspired by the Club Tropicana song by George Michael! I also recently worked on some beautiful botanical, floral illustrations for a quirky, creative flower shop in Poland!
What are the plans for the next phase of your artistic and/or professional journey?
I want learn how to make my illustrations move…I’d like to start working on gifs and animation a bit. I was always mesmerized by moving images and would love my illustrations to come to life!
What is/are the signature element(s) of your personal style?
Details, details, details….lots of details!
What music is on heavy rotation for you right now?
Right now it’s Chelsea Jade and Electric Youth!
What is the favorite place you’ve visited?
Quarteira, Portugal
What is the last thing that really caught your eye or got stuck in your head?
An illustration drawn on a light box. You can switch it on when it’s dark. So you’ve got a poster on your wall and a lamp in one thing!
What are your favorite websites and/or Instagram profiles?
@jamesmyleart
@esrarois
@acronewofficial
@janwillemtattoo
What’s on your current wish list? (Can be any things, places or experiences!)
Travel Japan north to south and buy a Cintiq 27HD tablet for drawing!
What’s the best nugget of advice you’ve received and would like to share with others?
"Move your focus from yourself to other people and you’ll be free!" Alex Mathers
And, we’d love to wrap up with the two signature questions that we refer to as the “Double Knot” 😊:
Please share an example of a time in your life where you said, “why not” and took on a big risk, challenge or leap of faith!
Why not move to place where I’ve always wanted to live? Why not just do it?! And here I’m, after 12 years in London living now and working in magical Edinburgh ;)! Just like that!
Please share why you “made ties” with DESEDA and teamed up to create an original scarf design with us!
I just instantly “clicked “ with Sarah the owner of DESEDA! I think she’s a brilliant women with amazing ideas. We share taste in music and love George Micheal’s Club Tropicana! I love that she supports and celebrate art and it’s creators, and I hope to continue our collaboration for long years to come!
[Wow - what a compliment. Right back at ya, Kasia! x]
Note: all photos courtesy of @n_kassia