Meet Mieczyslaw Wasilewski: Master of Minimalist Graphic Design

Mieczyslaw Wasilewski

It’s going to be hard to convey just how incredible it was to meet one of the masters of the Polish School of Posters, and one of our favourite artists - Mieczyslaw Wasilewski - or Mietek, as he introduced himself. But we did. And the meeting will forever stay with us as one of the most incredible and special meetings of our lives.

We met Wasilewski at hist studio in Warsaw. It was getting dark and the room was small and packed to the rafters with art books and mementos of design inspiration. Wasilewski’s desk was by the window, on it sat his laptop, and next to it the most incredible old leather ergonomic chair. He had a little super dry tag hanging alongside a torn out black and white picture from playboy magazine. Ideas and inspiration were everywhere.

The thing that strikes you when you meet Wasilewski, isn that whilst he might be considered to be old at 78, he is as current in his thinking as anybody who is half or even a quarter of his age. He has huge admiration for Banksy he said; an artist who is so efficient and effective in conveying his message. He was also the one who suggested we take selfie! This soft cheeky charm belies his incredible talent. For there’s no doubt that he is an absolute master of graphic design; a true living legend.

Wasilewski learnt his art studying under the ultimate master of poster and graphic design professor Henryk Tomaszewski at the Warsaw Academy of Fine Art. And it shows. Just like Tomaszewski, Wasilewski takes out everything that is not essential from his designs so that they are the art of succinctness; powerful and true.

When he graduated he spent 18 months living in Paris, painting portraits in the square for passing tourists. (Imagine all those people with little sketches by Wasilewski, who might never know!). It was only when he had entered and won a design competition that Tomaszewski picked up the phone and asked him to return to the university as his studio assistant. Having taken two weeks to consider the offer, he ended up staying there for almost twenty years, eventually taking over from Tomaszewski as professor when he retired. Wasilewski still teaches to this day.

He was so generous and talked us through his designs and showed us how to spot the hidden messages within his work. There is always another outline to spot, another way to look at the image, to strengthen the message and the meaning. Nothing is left to chance. Each piece is perfect in its minimalism. There is so much depth to Wasilewski’s work. But more than that, so much heart, so much hope.

We asked him to sum up in three human traits or qualities his posters convey. He thought long and hard, before saying: truth, honesty, not taking yourself too seriously. If only we all approached life the same way.

He was insistent we take the sparkly new lift instead of the stairs!

Pure graphic design genius, currently exhibited at the Poster Museum in Wilanow