An intimate conversation with Brooklyn-based, Polish Artist, Olek (🎧 23 mins)
Olek (2020) – 29.7 cm x 21 cm – Alcohol markers on white paper
Olek has been a great source of inspiration for me as an artist. When I decided to start interviewing other artists in 2020, I reached out to a multitude of different people, from different walks of life, who were in varying stages of their careers. My self-belief was wavering after getting many rejections, this was understandable, as I was a ‘nobody’ who was starting a brand-new podcast. If you’re well known, the least you want in return for your time is to get your message out there to a decent-sized audience!
That said, to my delight, Olek accepted my invitation! They asked for a small donation for the cemetery where Basquiat was buried, in return for their time. This donation would support the upkeep of the beautiful park and grounds of Green-Wood in Brooklyn.
The connection with Olek touched me deeply, they understood my pain and my regret for not believing in myself when I was younger. We discussed deeper dimensions of existence, meditation, and spirituality.
I had a whole host of questions I wanted to ask, but I was so lost in the moment that I forgot.
This drawing is my dedication to the beautiful soul that is Olek.
WIP – looks quite cool with no skin colouration
Bad art teachers, the perfection of nature and going beyond The Self – The conversation
Join me in this wonderful conversation with Polish-born artist, now Brooklynite, Agata Oleksiak AKA Olek. They have done some fantastic work using crochet and more recently, Virtual Reality. I was in awe looking through Olek’s Instagram at the amount of work they’ve produced over the past decade. The artworks that stood out the most for me were the large-scale crochet pieces, covering the Wall Street Bull, entire houses and giant banners celebrating influential figures in history.
I deliberately didn’t want to ask Olek about work specifics as most of those details are online already, I wanted to go deeper as I was interested in some of the writings that accompanied Olek’s Instagram posts, such as “Find a dimension that is deeper than your thoughts” and wanted to explore there instead.
You can listen to the beautiful conversation I had with her below:
If you enjoyed this chat with Olek, please share it with your friends!
Thank you for taking the time to read this post.
Best wishes,
SLART
P.S. If you’d like to buy one of my art prints, you can do so here