Agata Marchlewicz

Jouan, Anne-yvonne

Paper cutter

©Marta Szostek

©Patryk Chenc

Traditional cutouts reinvented

Agata combines traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design
She draws inspiration from everyday life, the severity of art brut and the complex ornamentation of nature
She received the Must Have award at Łódź Design Festival in 2023

Agata Marchlewicz has always liked working with paper crafts. During her studies, she painted watercolours and made etchings. She was drawn to paper-cutting techniques after taking part in workshops with a traditional paper-cutter, Lucyna Kozłowska, in 2014 during the Tabor Kaliski festival. The cutting process is very meticulous. Agata uses small nail scissors and a bookbinding knife to create her intricate cutouts. She also dyes and waxes her paper herself. "This work relaxes me and has a therapeutic effect on my life," she admits. Agata personally likes to cut out Slavic deities, elements of nature and unusual body shapes. Over the years since she started her activity, she has trained 100 apprentices who were inspired by her passion.

Interview

©Marta Szostek

©Marta Szostek

Why do you like paper cutting?: It is a return to stories made of the simplest and most accessible material – paper. I cut out ornaments inspired by traditional compositions – plants with fabulous shapes symbolising life or female figures symbolising the mother.
Do you remember your first work?: One of the first cutouts I made was a black silhouette on a cream background. The first series of works I created were characters associated with Slavic deities. They are hard to define, with some emanating feminine and some masculine energy.
What makes your artwork different?: Cutting out is not a popular technique for self-expression in Poland. It is associated with kindergarten activities. My cutouts are original because they do not try to duplicate any existing patterns. I am somewhere between craft, art and design, but I do not feel I have to define it.
What does "good design" mean to you?: For me good design is practical design. I appreciate what touches my heart.

Agata Marchlewicz is a master artisan: she began her career in 2014 and she started teaching in 2014