My artistic activity has begun in 2006 when after five years of intensive economics studies, I decided to try something completely different and I started Cracow School of Art and Fashion Design, Poland. It was my first encounter with art that affected the rest of my life. Love that does not know compromises. At this time, I started to get deeper into new areas of interests such as painting, drawing, clothes, shoes designing, photography, sewing, fashion history, art history and the first fashion shows. I was fascinated with these all new things I could have learnt. But, the joy of discovering new things was interrupted by my mother's unexpected death. This unimaginable sadness gave me a chance to discover new art movements as Dadaism and Surrealism. These art movements have remained forever close to my heart!
In order to close one chapter in my life that was fashion design studies, I made a collection of clothes named "Beautiful Boy". The collection was inspired by one of the songs composed by Cocorosie and a book „The Thief’s Journal“ by the French writer Jean Genet. a few years later, I had a chance to meet Bianca and Sierra - Cocorosie and share my passion and love with them. a magical moment that I can remember till now while watching CocoRosie: „Tales of a Grass Widow 2013 Tour“ on Youtube. Look for white and black handmade sweatshirt „Eye of God“: let's watch
In 2010, I started working in a family-owned clothing company where I had a chance to develop my skills such as cutting, sewing, designing clothing and accessories, pattern making and business. The „Merdre“ collection is a summary of my work in this company.
In 2013, I quitted my job and I decided to open my „NEWSURREAL“ atelier. At this time, I also started studying graphic design in Katowice, Poland. In my atelier, I was responsible for: choosing fabrics, designing clothes, making patterns, sewing, photographing, branding, marketing and selling. At this time, the collections such as „Love Poem“, „Illustrated People“, „Boom Boom“, „Collage’s Time“, „Ultra Universe“, „Doodle“, „Surreal News“, „Surreal Legs“ were created. My diploma thesis was entitled „Promotion materials atelier’s NewSurreal“. Collections of clothing that was designed as a part of the diploma was called „Amour Fou“ and it was really important moment for me as I understood that the most important element in making clothes is a fabric, or rather what is printed on. This is how the first collection of my fabrics (12 models) was made, and then the clothes. Photo sessions, hand-painted photos provided me with the materials to create posters, business cards and other materials that beautifully promoted my studio. The „Amour Fou“ collection was devoted to the spirit of my studio. I graduated with honors.
In 2015, I went to London for few weeks to look for an inspiration to make a new collecion. I fell in love in the city and I met my future husband there. Thereby, United Kingdom became my second home. Frequent visits to museums and the art galleries in London inspired me to make the collages and develop my painting skills. My paintings became the topic of my new fabric collection which was later followed by a limited edition of jackets named "The Lost Art". One of them belongs to the great Polish-American artist Anna Bloda. In addition, a double series, „Surreal Face“, was promoted by Etsy in 2017 in the UK. Some of my last paintings will be used on record sleeves by Two Alone's debut record label.
In 2018, I opened my vintage shop „The Surreal Vintage Co“.
I also began printing in screen printing technique and I hope that you see the results of my work very soon! All these experiences shape my vision of the world and art. MY mission is to create the ART and share it with YOU! Art allows me to identify with myself and the world. To me, art also is therapeutic and expressive and it allows me to externally state my spirit, longings and desires. Let the art be present in every day of our lives, in every home.
FASHION without you is nothing
Clothes are an ideal medium to tell your own individual story. Every day we dress and undress. We create our own world through unimportant choices every single morning. Each day becomes a new adventure where we have to choose who we want to be. Fashion is the path that we follow in order to find our identity.
New Surreal fashion is mainly based on NS art: collages, paintings, illustrations. As a result we can witness incepction of something extraordinary, handmade clothes, own patterns, highly original, lovely overprints, unique pieces, unisex, handcrafted sweatshirts, colorful jackets. New Surreal is dichotomy between art and fashion, fun and seriousness. New Surreal breaks the code and shows another way. Not many labels successfully combine this both areas – Fashion and Art. Wearing NS is like signing up to unique story. This brand was made of dreams and experiments and people who believe in it. The mission is to create really flamboyant stuff and this is the way to find the ‘truth’. If you want to find it, fill your mind with fun, freedom, surreal and expression.
Currently NS customers are the group of fans in underground circles. Company is changing place constantly, searching for new inspiration and marketplace. All clothes are made in Europe. Shots are taken with my friends and people chosen at random in the street. The biggest power lies not in construction of clothes but in visual messages. Literature, poetry, music, modern painting, all of these are inspirations for NS. These clothes make each of us a catwalk star: antI fear and laughing out loud. This is amazing energy and flow. Every time this energy creates completely new story. Clothes are a catalyst, they are form, color, material and feeling. Choosing New Surreal is a social representation and a sign of belonging to a particular surreal tribe. If you want to be a part of New Surreal crew you need to be brave, hungry and foolish. This is something like following an instinct and doing what ever you want to do.
ART is like sex just do it
The word ‘Art’ in the phrase FASHION, ART, LIFE is the most significant thing. Art leads the way, gives birth, character and style for fashion. NS is interested in an art that is full of contradictions, expressions, emotions, created randomly. NS speaks for experiment, colors, movement, fun, absurd, punk, provocation, rebellion in art. NS loves exploiting our times and making contemporary art, mainly handmade collages and acrylic painting.
Spontaneous, irreverent, and personal, collage fits more perfectly into our current world than almost any other artistic technique. This is definitely the age of collage. Fashion is a main theme of NS collages. Precisely colored naked bodies, funny faces with paints splashed all over them, randomly chosen pieces of paper joined together are becoming one. NS paintings are something between neo-expressionism, abstract and surrealism. They are full of energy, power and colors. NS modernist art is authentic and original. Color is an essential element in making NS art.
LIFE is fun
“Reality can be recognized only by imagination and fiction. Being serious kills imagination. The real truth lies in contradiction. Main function of laughing is to implement chaos. I believe that laugh and grotesque are only weapons against the world with no scruples. Art is a game that helps sensitive person to survive in coercive environment. What is more, art is a beautiful lie that teach us how to perceive world differently.”
“What I liked: absurd paintings, pictures over doorways, stage sets, carnival backdrops, billboards, bright-colored prints, old-fashioned literature, church Latin, erotic books full of misspellings, the kind of novels our grandmothers read, fairy tales, little children’s books, old operas, silly old song, the naïve rhythms of country rimes.
I dreamed of Crusades, voyages of discovery that nobody had heard of, republics without histories, religious wars stamped out, revolutions in morals, movements of races and continents. I used to believe in every kind of magic…”
Arthur Rimbaud, from “The Alchemy of the Word,”
a Season in Hell (1873), trans. Paul Schmidt
New Surreal plan for the next years is to create a big international network for artistic people who want to turn a world of fashion and art upside down. If you want to collaborate with me feel free to contact me.
