Przemek Sokołowski: illustrations inspired by life

Przemek Sokołowski became well-known for his poster designs made for local cafes and clubs. Later, he begun publishing his works in the internet. In his works, he often refers to pop culture and everyday life, adding a bit of surrealism to his creations. He welcomed us in his apartment to tell us about his life and work.

4.12.2023
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4.12.2023
When I come to Przemek’s flat, I am instantly welcomed by his sweet little dog, Mia. We sit together in the living room and Przemek begins to tell me about his inspirations. “Research is a very important stage of my work. I watch lots of designs and illustrations every day and I create many moodboards. It all naturally lives in my brain and later becomes inspirations for my own works. I also love auteur cinema and I watch a lot of movies — they inspire me a lot, too. I love to explore the unknown: I travel to new countries or cities, and travelling makes me very good at noticing new things.”
Uwielbiam kino autorskie i czerpię sporo inspiracji z filmów.
Przemek’s natural sensitivity lets him pay attention to small, sometimes random details that later become his inspirations. “Sometimes I would see a funny elevation on a building, or someone’s unusual garden. Things that are accidental, made without a specific intention become sometimes best inspirations.”
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When asked about criteria for choosing a project, Przemek tells me that fortunately, now he is in a place of his career when he is able to select projects he works on. “Projects that make me most happy are those where I can be creatively free. When a client contacts me with a ready idea about a final project in his mind, I already know that it will be a tough process, and I sometimes rejects those requests. However, I like to sometimes have a specific work frame, like the amount of colors I can use. Sometimes working within limits triggers lots of creativity,” says Przemek. For the illustrator, it’s of great importance that the contact with the client is smooth and that they have common understanding of aesthetics. “When you reached out to me about the collaboration for ÅOOMI, I was so excited! I knew that we could create something fun together,” he adds.

How did Przemek develop the theme of care in his work? “When I started to work on the illustration, I looked at my dog Mia laying next to me, and she became the starting point of this project. The round shape of the plate was also important as it made me think about a tight circle of friends and family members caring for each other. For me, though, we should care not only about our family or friends, but also about our nearest surroundings: the nature, the culture and so on.”

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Every illustrator stumbles upon creative block sometimes. Przemek tell us that in such case, he usually just waits until it’s over. Often times, he needs to change his surroundings, clear his mind and stop thinking about work for a moment. What helps is watching a movie, walking the dog or just taking a rest. The illustrator tells us that it’s important to draw just for the sake of drawing, outside work. The sketches created in his free time are often made into posters that are published on his website.

Przemek’s office is made in a room in his apartment. As it is a relatively small space, we start a discussion about his dream studio. “I imagine it would be a spacious workshop arranged in an old building, with high ceilings and lots of daylight. I dream about having some greenery outside of my window. When I was a kid, I used to look at a large birch from my room, and I miss greenery around me. I would love to have more space, so I can create big-format works. There would be for sure a couch there for my guests, and - last but not least - a bed for Mia!”

The round shape of the plate was important as it made me think about a tight circle of friends and family members caring for each other.
The round shape of the plate was important as it made me think about a tight circle of friends and family members caring for each other.

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