Marcin Bondarowicz
Marcin Bondarowicz is a skilful Polish cartoonist. He is also a painter, a photograph and a poet. He was born in 1976 in Starachowice, Poland. He lives now in Poland as a freelance artist.
Marcin works in traditional and digital graphic. He is doing all sort of illustrations in various techniques such as : oil painting, acrylic, computer illustration. Marcin has recently been working as a journalist specialized into press illustration. He worked for magazines such as BusinessWeek/Poland, Bonnier Business Polska, Integracja Europejska, Gazeta Bankowa.

I met Marcin after He, I and other Western cartoonists (mainly the Norwegian Firuz Kutal and the North American David Baldinger) had written a collective letter following the controversy of the Hamshari cartoon contest about the limits of Western Freedom of Expression. Since then, we have kept a very close contact.
Here are some excerpts of Marcin’s art conception and artist’s perception. I spotted these wonderful lines in our e-mail communications. I thought these profound thoughts ought to be read by more people.

-“My works seem to be saying something completely different from what the free press are writing and the media are showing.The shallowness and the infantile nature of the social information conveyed by the mass and electronic media are the subject of my art. My illustrations refer to the tradition of the Polish school of poster art, a poster art which was philosophical, brief, economic to the verge of abstraction yet, at the same time, harbouring ambitions of a wider social resonance. There are symbolic pictures of an autobiographical and existential character. Autobiography became a shelter and a starting-point for my work.” (…)
-“Cartoon Art is a worldwide phenomenon, bringing cultures together with a universal appeal. Cartoon Art has the special quality of immediacy that is apparent in both the medium and the message. I clamour in this kind of art. I talk through my works.” (…)
-“In my art, I am talking about discord, human behaviour, like hatred, conflicts, treason and about other things, such as confidence and stream of love.. To the people looking at my pictures, I give pieces of one’s mind. But many of them don’t understand my works. Then I draw and paint on the subject of unintelligible world and stupidity...” (…)
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-“ In today's world, in an age when traditional patterns are threatened by globalisation, when value hierarchies are being blurred by the dominant liberal ideology and when the autonomy and individuality of the artistic message is being undermined by advertisements, billboards, spots and clips, the individual artist's manual and craftsman like dexterity are in greater than ever demand for me. The painter's image is the counterweight to the stereotype proposed by the media, the counterweight to the virtual reality of the electronic media.” (…)
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Marcin Bondarowicz
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Here is what Marcin answered to me after I sent him the 2 portraits above :

"Thank you so much, Ben. You are a very talented painter. You are perfectly right on. It is one of your best works!!! I love it.

I find a double sense in that drawing. There are more symbols and contents, “substance”. It is a fantastic portrait. I just feel better when I see your great artwork. I come to legal force.

You show me my true face. It is a discovery of myself. You bring me undoubtedly happy. You are brilliant. Your drawing is like a narcotic. I watch it and watch and watch…

You uncovered my soul and give me joy. It is the best gift I ever get from a friend. Our portraits are permanent trance of our friendship.

They are unique like fingermark…

Marcin”
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Portrait

Marcin Bondarowicz studied at the Institute of Technology in Radom, Poland, in the Art faculty. He got diplomas in painting and graphic art.

Here are some of Marcin’s achievements and rewards :
-Leader of artistic set in 1991
-Rewarded by Rector for active work during study
-Prize winner in a competition for a poster connected with preventing drug habit and integration of local community
-Prize winner in a photo competition: International Year of The Family in 1994-2004, subject – „mother and a child” USA 2004
-The Nomination for the reward in the International Cartoon Competition “Satyrykon 2005” – category humor and social satire Poland
-The Special Award in BIRD2005 International Art Award CHINA
-The Bronze Prize in The 2nd WINE International Invitation Cartoon Exhibition CHINA 2005
-The Honourable Mentions in The International Competition of Graphic Humour FOR pro FOR
–2006 [Joke for For 2006 ] Praha, Czech Republic 2006


Marcin Bondarowicz has cooperated as an illustrator and sarcastic drawer with newspapers such as :

-Harvard Business Review Poland
-Business Week Poland
-Przegląd Podatkowy
-Puls Biznesu
-Gazeta Bankowa
-Dziennik Zachodni
-Integracja Europejska
-Nowy Robotnik
-Najwyższy CZAS
-Regiony
-Gazeta Samorządu i Administracji
-INPRECOR Correspondance de presse internationale
He has cooperated with Cartoon Agencies such as:
-J&J [Poland]
-Okcomic.net [China]
-East News
-Gilotyna

A lot of his art works are in private collections in Poland and in foreign countries. Permanent exhibition of his art works and projects of posters can be viewed on :
-HIS WEBSITE
-HIS PORTFOLIO

More works by Marcin Bondarowicz can be viewed on :

-OKCOMIC
-INDIAN INK
-GALERIA (Painting)
-GALERIA (Illustration)
-VARIART


Contact :

e-mail: bondarowicz@wp.pl
adress: Żeromskiego 8 / 8 27-200 Starachowice:
Polandphone: 48 041 274 20 03
mobile: +48 692 431 219
+48 502 215 953


Ben Heine by Marcin Bondarowicz
September 2006
Thank you again dear Marcin,
You are a soulmate...
Published by Ben Heine the 9/30/2006