FOLKLORE AND MYSTERY

Sandra Duchiewicz reveals the thinking behind her characters and some of her key thematic inspirations

When did you first start creating dark or sinister art, and what drew you towards the dark path?

It is always surprising to me when people mention that my art looks creepy, sinister or dark. It happens quite often, even when I don’t intend it to be scary! I don’t see my characters as evil or very dark. I envision them as strong, independent entities with their own agendas and wants, and their own value structure and logic.

What are your influences?

I am from Poland, and dark and mysterious tales are common in Slavic folklore, so as a child I started picking up those darker and sinister themes. Later on when I started reading more fantasy fiction, especially Tolkien and Sapkowski, I knew that this would be a fascination and recurring theme in my art for years.

Have you ever worked with lighter themes?

Of course! I also enjoy painting innocent and cute characters, especially if they embody a plant or spirit or motif. They are my guilty pleasures, and I use more vibrant, colourful palettes to create them. But for whatever reason, even though they are intended to be cute, some people still find them sinister, evil or creepy. I think I do these things subconsciously!