Fresh as a Daisy with Karolina Pawelczyk

December 3, 2024

Illustrator Karolina Pawelczyk thrives in a vibrant world of creativity, where fashion, sports, and personal experiences come together to inspire her playful work. She embraces bold expression, draws influence from her surroundings, and skilfully balances personal projects with high-profile collaborations, including global campaigns for renowned brands like Marc Jacobs and Gucci.

When did you first know you were interested in creating art?

I think it all started in my childhood because now, when I reflect on my childhood and our games, I consider them incredibly creative. Together with my twin sister, we always had countless ideas: we organised home performances, photo sessions of our dog Saba, and built various constructions in our room. I also remember the moment in elementary school when I attended my first art class - the impression the studio made on me, the atmosphere, and the smell were indescribable. Art supply stores always thrilled me too - I instinctively felt at home in that world. However, I wasn’t always able to imagine that it could be something more than just a passion or a hobby.

Were there any pivotal moments during your education that significantly changed the way you view or create art?

It was undoubtedly the course at Central Saint Martins in London, focused on fashion illustration. I always say that it was there where I truly felt I could have fun with drawing, without the need to stick to strict rules. It was definitely a time when I realised the direction I wanted to take with my illustration - playful, fun, colourful.

Who or what are your biggest artistic inspirations, and how do they influence your practice?

It probably influenced my work more indirectly than directly, but I’ve always loved films that were full of absurdity and used various techniques, like music, to create a sense of the absurd. I’ve always enjoyed when something in a piece was unexpected, when it carried a subversive, energetic charge. These kinds of works stayed with me for a long time.

This is what I sometimes do with my illustrations. When I finish drawing something that is “ok" or feels very “correct”, I think “ok and now let’s make it crazy!” And I make the super fun version, without any limits.

What are your go-to mediums, and does the emotion you're trying to convey dictate the ones you choose?

I work with markers and, for some time now, I’ve also been using digital techniques. I love both methods - markers are in my DNA, they have their own character, and they add a bit of childlike energy to my drawings, which I love. On the other hand, digital techniques open up a vast range of possibilities, especially when it comes to animation. I also have ideas and dreams for the next step, but for now, I wouldn’t want to reveal more.

What’s your favourite subject to illustrate, and why do you feel drawn to it?

My favourite subject and the starting point of it all is, of course, fashion, which offers endless opportunities for creativity and play. Fashion carries an incredible amount of energy, and I love tapping into that, adding my own touch, and interpreting it in my unique artistic language. Recently, I’ve also become very interested in drawing illustrations closely related to sports - a world that feels familiar to me, one I understand and deeply admire. I look for lighthearted themes where I can naturally incorporate my favourite technique - adding what I call the "fun-factor." That’s when I feel my illustrations carry the kind of energy I strive for.

How does your personal relationship with nature, cityscapes, or the environment reflect in your work?

Yes, I love big cities, but nature is truly my home, and I really need it in this crazy life. I must live close to greenery, parks, or forests - otherwise, it’s hard for me. I deeply need the peace that nature brings to my mind.

Where in the world do you find the most inspiration for your illustrations, and what is it about that place that fuels your creativity?

I think it's museums and galleries that I enjoy visiting, wherever I go. Time spent in these places helps even the toughest artist block pass more quickly, and I usually leave feeling incredibly inspired, with immense gratitude that I get to do this myself. Of course, at the top of my list of favourite art destinations, from the places I’ve been, are Paris (Musee d'art Moderne is my number 1 there, but every time I visit Paris I discover something more) and London (Tate Modern of course is a must!). I love the style of these cities and the pace of each of them. My trip to Lanzarote was also incredibly inspiring for me. In addition to its breathtaking landscapes, it boasts truly unique architecture designed by César Manrique. I also fondly remember the intensity of colours in Marrakech, and I highly recommend this place to all of my friends, creatives.

Outside of illustration, what other passions or hobbies do you have that might surprise people, and do they ever find their way into your work?

Do you have a lot of time to talk about it?:)) Of course, it’s sports - I’m a tennis player, and I even compete in an amateur tennis league! I believe that time spent on the tennis court is crucial for my creativity. It’s absolutely invaluable that during a game, I can completely focus on something else, which allows me to truly relax and gain a fresh perspective - even though tennis actually requires a lot of mental effort. Recently, I also joined a running club, and I’m very excited about it. There have been many times when I spent hours working on a project, unable to come up with a good solution, and suddenly, the answer would come to me as I stepped off the tennis court, exhausted. I’m also very open to people and love traveling - it brings so much positivity into my life! :)

Tell us about some of your favourite projects or collaborations, and what made them special for you?

Of course, the number one project for me is "Pick your Daisy," which I illustrated for Marc Jacobs Fragrances. It was an incredibly demanding project that took my work as an illustrator to a whole new level, but also full of adventures. We started working on it in March 2020, exactly when the pandemic was beginning to spread around the world. For a long time, I wasn’t sure if it would even be realised, but it turned out to be an amazing project, where my task was to illustrate each of the Daisy fragrances as characters. In the end, it was released worldwide a year later, and I thought I would die from happiness! In addition to that, I created drawings that appeared as murals in European capitals, editorials, illustrations on coffee cups for Ladurée cafes in the USA, and I did live drawings at brand events - which I absolutely love!

I love meeting new people and that is a great opportunity for that! I also love the energy my fun drawings bring, including for Gucci. This is what makes this work so incredible - I’m constantly moving in completely different areas. However, I always emphasise that personal projects are absolutely the most important - they are the key to everything, they set the direction, and we should always make time for them.