Silver Fine Arts and Art Installation Design · 2020
Tale About Fear Mural
- A' Design Award 2020 Silver Winner in Fine Arts and Art Installation Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: Marta zawieja
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 35,133
- Verification code 540CC1E471 · Verify this award
About Tale About Fear Mural
The mural was created for children’s hospice. The design is a metaphor for the transition between two worlds. The building’s walls were used to show the metaphor. The dark and starry universe contrasts with the huge pink bird. Pink flamingo symbolizes caring support. Girl’s hair is a symbol for imagination and free spirit.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The picture shows a flamingo which carries a girl on his beak like a swing. Author used the body of the building to convey the metaphor of "a passage". The whole image is designed on the walls of the building in a way that simultaneously connects and separates two worlds. The girl's long hair extends to all walls, turning into splashes. The girl's hair is a reference to the children's imagination, which has the great power to look at the world in a more enchanted way than the adults.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The Foundation wanted the hospice's space to be special for the children and hospice's employees. It was aware of the importance and the impact of the created space on people. The mural gives the impression of a large project. The picture covers 550 m of the building walls. It is covered with wall paints. In the concept, the project was partly to be covered with fluorescent paints, so that it could "shine" at night, unfortunately the implementation turned out to be too expensive.
- Tags
- mural, gajusz, Lodz, zawieja, hospice, painting, street art
- Production Technology
- Marta Zawieja started the creation using the traditional painting. She transferred the project to the digital technology and continued work using a graphic tablet. Due to the financial difficulties, there was no certainty that a professional company would be responsible for the implementation, which is why the project was simplified, created like a coloring book to facilitate its transfer to the walls of the building. Goodlooking Studio used wall paints for implementation.
- Design Challenge
- Thanks to this project, the hospice building stood out among the buildings of a housing estate. For this reason, it raised doubts of the city architect, who expected the building to be uniform in relation to the surroundings. We managed to convince the authorities that it is worth to bet on an unusual solution due to the unique activities of the foundation. Today it is one of the most recognizable buildings in the city.
- Project Duration
- The hospice building is located in a housing estate in Lodz in Poland. The renovation of the building was carried out with donations from private persons, therefore it lasted a long time. The creation of the mural project began in May 2014 and was completed at the beginning of July 2014. In August 2014, the Goodlooking Studio transferred the design to the walls of the building. In September, the author of the project has made the corrections to it.
- Operation Flow
- The project was dedicated and created with the needs of this place. The foundation is mainly supported by donations. The goal was to stir up the adult emotions. To pay attention to the needs of dying children, from whom we adults often turn our heads away in fear. The idea of a pink bird that looks after a child in its most difficult moments has become close to the foundation's people, has become a symbol. Today, all foundation identification, including the new logo, is based on this symbol.
- Research
- The main task was to find a way to convey the emotions associated with the search for security in difficult moments accompanying the dying process. Marta Zawieja wanted to convey these emotions not from the position of an adult, but from the perspective of the child's imagination. Imagination itself can be a safety buffer. A flamingo that rocks the girl emerges from her hair. She is not alone in this dark starry space. This picture reflected the idea of establishing a Gajusz Foundation in Lodz.
- Inspiration
- The Foundation received a building from the city of Lodz to run a stationary hospice for children. The building had to undergo the complete renovation. The foundation didin't want the hospice to look like hospital, it wanted to change the square block from the 1950s into a friendly place. Give the place a home-like character, tame and disenchant the nightmare with which the hospice is associated. Marta Zawieja's project best met the expectations of the visualization of a care for a dying child.
Colors of Tale About Fear Mural
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Design Interview about Tale About Fear Mural
I wanted to encourage the audience to establish a connection and empathy with the children staying in this hospice. Through the painting, I told a story about the emotions that these children might feel. The story was based on my own emotions that I experienced in difficult times. Sometimes the reality is so difficult or emotionally unbearable for us that we transform it with help of our imagination into a situation where we feel safe, loved and cared for.
I focused on conveying the truth about emotions. Finding the truth and telling about it exposes our sensitivity. It triggers the fear that someone will use it against us. By showing our sensitivity to others, we create a space where we can connect with the sensitivity of another human being. This was what I cared about most, the connection. This connection with other beings helps us to be guided in life not only by the survival instinct.
I have no plans as for this project
It took me 4 days to come up with the concept. Implementation 2 months.
I knew that the foundation was looking for a mural design that could be placed on the walls of the hospice for children. I wanted to take on this challenge. I gave myself space and time to sense if the pictures would come to me. First came the flamingo. I saw flamingos before when I was designing my book. They appeared on the seashore when the main character - the girl set out on a difficult and lonely journey. I felt that they were the caring, loving spirits who watch over the protagonist's safety from a distance. The child as the main character appeared naturally when I saw my daughter playing on the swing.
Later I started to play with elements in conjunction with the structure of the building. I used the wall of the building, just like in previous projects I used sheets in a book. I created the concept of the project. The Foundation's management board liked the project and I started the implementation.
Later I started to play with elements in conjunction with the structure of the building. I used the wall of the building, just like in previous projects I used sheets in a book. I created the concept of the project. The Foundation's management board liked the project and I started the implementation.
This work was dedicated to the Gajusz Foundation on the stationary hospice for children building.
I like challenges that allow me to transfer images from my imagination to reality.
The project was carried out by Good Looking Studio
The target customer was the Gajusz Foundation
This project was dedicated to this place, it was to express an idea consistent with the idea of the Foundation
This picture tells the story about the fear before the lonely and difficult journey. About the fear of disconnection from everything we know. About the fear of the inevitable unknown into which we have been thrown and we cannot change it. And about the great need for hugs, care and love, which can help to bear and comfort this fear.
I started to create my work using the technique of traditional painting, but due to limited possibilities and time, I transferred my work to Adobe Phothoshop and continued the project using a graphics tablet.
I think the most unique aspect of this project is that it deals with a very difficult and sensitive topic.
The project was carried out by Good Looking Studio. It is a professional company specializing in hand-painted advertisements and art murals.
Technology doesn't play any role in this project.
I didn't conduct any research.
The biggest challenge in implementing the project was to combine work with taking care of my daughter. At that time, she had severe allergies and didn’t attend kindergarten. Most of the work was done in the early morning between 4-8 am. Her presence made it easier for me to immerse myself in the child's imagination, where there are no limits and everything is possible. This influenced the shape of my work, I tried to approach the subject from the perspective of the child's imagination.
At the beginning of summer, I decided to paint pictures that for many years I have been creating only in my imagination. Working on paintings is a difficult challenge for me, especially in terms of emotions. I was then talking to god, higher self, some kind of a source (call it as you want). I wanted these images to be created so that everyone could see them, not that they would only be sold for money. I made a decision, instead of going on vacation, I spent my money on the painting materials. A week later, I got an invitation to take part in an international competition. I got scared, all the irrational fears came out of my closet. And I deal with all of them one by one to shape my life the way I want it.
I learned that it is good to ask for details and specificity of the concept implementation. I spent most of my time cleaning lines that weren't really important. I saw the building with my own eyes only after the project was completed. It was good for me. If I had seen him before, the size of the building might have overwhelmed me. When I designed smaller forms in my drawings, I felt more freedom and the courage to play with the form.