OFF Marina. Cultural Haven

OFF Marina was a place where one could encounter Szczecin's artists, designers, and craftsmen active in the realm of art. The Design Days Festival and Record Store Day were organized here. I had the immense pleasure of starting my journey with painting precisely at this location. Although the realm of art was not foreign to me, as I had graduated from the Academy of Art and worked as a graphic designer for the previous eight years, the change I underwent was tremendous! In OFF Marina, within my 11-square-meter studio, I spent four years from 2015 to 2019. It was a significant challenge for me. At home, a one-year-old child awaited me, and I continued to work as a graphic designer during the nights. After a year, I additionally took on a role as an assistant and lecturer at the Academy of Art. Despite primarily working on large formats and having limited workspace, during this time, I managed to create artworks that I presented at two solo exhibitions in the R+ Gallery at the Academy of Art in Szczecin and at the Level 4 Gallery in the Mieczysław Karłowicz Philharmonic in Szczecin. Furthermore, my works received several awards and were featured in collective exhibitions. I will always recall this time and place with fondness, but I will also never forget the amount of effort, dedication, and sacrifice it took for me to engage in what I have the immense pleasure of doing now.