An obvious item to someone who grew up here, the British two-tap sink confuses and surprises many foreign visitors. The text on the poster mimics the voice of someone thinking out loud about the tap in a strong Polish accent. What were your own first impressions in a completely new place?
Marta Adamowicz is a Polish artist based in Scotland. She specialises in lino cutting and traditional crafts.
An obvious item to someone who grew up here, the British two-tap sink confuses and surprises many foreign visitors. The text on the poster mimics the voice of someone thinking out loud about the tap in a strong Polish accent. What were your own first impressions in a completely new place?
Marta Adamowicz is a Polish artist based in Scotland. She specialises in lino cutting and traditional crafts.
Marta Adamowicz
Zine 1 - First Impressions
How would you describe your profession?
I work as an artist and a medical interpreter.
What’s your country of origin, and what brought you to Scotland?
I came to Scotland around 2008. I’m originally from Poland. I moved here to do my degree top-up at uni, after studying an HND in England.
As an artist, what medium and formats do you use?
I work mainly in linocuts and with sound.
Has your experience of migration influenced your art?
I very often touch upon nostalgia and the concept of home in my art, because these are complex issues in a migrant environment.
In your view, does being a migrant artist influence how your art is seen in Scotland and the UK?
I’m not sure. I’ve heard people saying that my artwork reminds them of art from the Soviet era. It might be just because of my heritage, but it’s also possible that my art is actually influenced by it as that was the aesthetic of my childhood.
What is your zine poster artwork about?
My poster is a linocut about two taps in British bathrooms. Many migrants are puzzled by this system. They don’t know how to wash their hands when water from one tap is boiling and from the other one - freezing. The rest of the world uses mixer taps in their bathrooms! My poster got a lot of appreciation and comments from other people who were surprised about British taps.
What elements of your cultural heritage, if any, have you noticed in Scotland?
Polish culture is quite visible in Scotland. There are many Polish shops and restaurants and a Polish club here, in Glasgow. There was a Polish army unit stationed in Scotland during the Second World War, and there’s loads of places where they left their mark.