The full cover of a book titled “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll. Against a deep purple background, a white rabbit in a red and white striped waistcoat leaps across the front cover.

Baddies, books and bicycles — the crafty skills of Marta Długołęcka

Words: Liv Siddall
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Date: 13 September 2012; Work
Illustration

So what do ice skaters, chefs, architects, and Marta Długołęcka all have in common? Well, they all possess the enviable skill of managing to make what they do look absolutely effortless. Yes these exquisite portraits of recognisable faces such as Frida Kahlo and Hendrix are made of what looks like Fimo but I’d like to see any of you try to squidge a bit of clay into something that looks remotely like anyone, or even make it look vaguely attractive. After honing this skill in the art of moulding and shaping, Warsaw-born Marta has proceeded to apply it to a number of briefs that you wouldn’t necessarily associate with the craft itself. Examples of this include her Dazed & Confused cover and the absolutely inspired selection of famous baddies from history.

A portrait of Frida Kahlo against a teal background. She wears a black garment with embroidered trim and a gold necklace, with a banner above her head reading “Frida Kahlo de Rivera 1907–1954”. — Above
Marta Długołęcka: In Memory of Frida Kahlo

A wax figure of Jimi Hendrix with a large afro, looking directly at the camera. They wear a red patterned jacket and a dark blue cravat against a purple background. — Above
Marta Długołęcka: The 27 Club

A book cover for “Sophie’s World” by Jostein Gaarder against a bright orange background. A collage illustration shows a person with long dark hair, partially obscured by a white envelope that reads “a novel about history of philosophy”. — Above
Marta Długołęcka: Sophie’s World

An illustration of a friendly, grey plastic bottle character with a wide smile and large eyes. The orange background features the title “the Recyclables” and the credit “written and illustrated by Marta Dlugolecka”. — Above
Marta Długołęcka: The Recyclables

A magazine cover for Dazed & Confused featuring a sculpted figure with reddish-brown hair and a pale face. The figure is posed with one arm raised, set against a dark background. Bold white text at the top reads “DAZED & CONFUSED”. Below the figure, the word “SHOWGIRL” appears in pink dots, followed by “KAREN ELSON & THE CITIZENS BAND”. — Above
Marta Długołęcka: Dazed and Confused cover

A small, hand-painted sculpture of a person wearing a grey collared shirt and a black beret. The figure has a pale, textured face with small red eyes and a thin moustache. — Above
Marta Długołęcka : Villains, Despots and Bad Lads

A small sculpture of a figure wearing a black suit, white shirt and dark sunglasses. They hold a small, pale animal in their arms against a backdrop of blue window blinds. — Above
Marta Długołęcka : Villains, Despots and Bad Lads

Further Info

www.kissikissi.com

About the Author

Liv Siddall

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Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

Baddies, books and bicycles — the crafty skills of Marta Długołęcka

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