With her innovative abstract poster designs, Ola Procak, a graphic designer and visual artist from Warsaw, is influenced by Polish art legends and her deep connection to music. She has created visually striking posters for notable music events and clubs in Poland and internationally. Her recent projects, “Move Mózg / U.R. Trax” (above, left) and “Inklingroom” (above, right), stand out for their unique blend of contemporary and primal themes, showcasing her ability to transform artistic visions into impactful visual narratives that resonate within the music scene.
By: Ola Procak
Introduction
As a graphic designer, I’ve had the privilege of working on numerous music-related projects. My deep connection to the music scene began early on with attending concerts, immersing myself in festivals, and, subsequently, taking on the role of a DJ, under the name KUXU. Many of my friends are DJs and producers, making the transition into designing for the music industry feel like a natural progression.
My early fascination with illustrated works by renowned Polish poster artist and graphic designer, Dawid Ryski, left a lasting impression. His iconic posters for events like The Misfits, Thundercat, and Franz Ferdinand fueled my dream of creating impactful music posters myself. Over time, my graphic tastes evolved, with notable Polish influences. I highly recommend exploring the works of Karol Jaworski, particularly his contributions to the Syntetyk collective and the Jasna 1 club.
Having transformed my aspirations into reality to some extent, I’ve had the opportunity to design posters for major clubs in Poland, including Ciało in Wrocław, Crackhouse in Gdańsk, and Jasna 1 in Warsaw. On the international stage, I have designed posters for events featuring artists such as Aquarian, U.R. Trax, Object Blue, Dogheadsurigeri, DJ Mell G, and Tommy Holohan.
Currently, my focus has shifted towards another dream: designing album covers. I’ve crafted covers for niche labels like 00 Effort, Lucyna Records, and Huveshta Rituals. My ultimate aspiration is to design an album cover for the incredibly talented Sevdaliza, and I hope to see that dream come to fruition someday.
Design Process
When it comes to the design process, the beginning is crucial. I particularly enjoy working with clients who have a clear vision of their goals but also trust me and allow for creative freedom. From my experience, this approach yields the best results. Often, I receive mood boards and inspirations at the very start, and if not, I try to establish a direction and propose my own ideas. These can be works of other artists, my own creations, or various associations. Of course, within certain limits; creative requirements like “make a skull-rose” don’t foster creativity, but a conversation and collaborative brainstorming with the client does. Frequently, this initial discussion sparks an idea in my mind. In my creative process, I often search for abstract motifs, aiming to find one central piece that determines the entire composition.
The success of a project largely depends on the client and effective communication. This was the case for both the poster for Inklingroom and the Move Mózg: U.R. TRAX poster. In the beginning, I received inspiration, discussed goals, and then got to work. Both Ola Teks and Cyryl from Move Mózg, as well as Wash Electra from Inklingroom, are individuals with high personal culture, communicative, and reliable. Simply put, they are great clients with whom working is a pleasure.
Move Mózg / U.R. Trax
This work is part of a series of event posters for Move Mózg, a well-known event series running from 2015. Organized by DJs Ola Teks and Cyryl, it used to take place at different locations, nowadays mainly at the Jasna 1 club. I was asked to refresh the existing key visual. My clients wanted the design to reflect the cosmos and nature in an up-to-date, abstract, and slightly Y2K aesthetics style.
The whole series included various enigmatic, otherworldly figures, made in 3D. Each one of them somehow referred to a DJ headliner’s style. The font used is Arrogant by Przemysław Zięba, a Polish typographer.
The poster was quickly implemented. It gained much attention on the local scene and made the event a promotional success. The project was featured in Digital Archive.
It’s worth mentioning that the posters served a charitable cause. Move Mózg orchestrated a poster auction, with the proceeds dedicated to support Ukraine.
Inklingroom
The poster was made for Inklingroom, a London-based series of events, combining contemporary dance and music into innovative performances.
I was asked to make a suitable poster for the upcoming event. My client, Wash Electra, has shown much confidence in my skills; I didn’t receive any specific instructions. He detailed the works he liked and provided a few keywords to work with.
I created several options to choose from, and my client chose the theme with metallic liquid. It depicts what was the biggest challenge here: how to include the interdisciplinary character of the event. Inklingroom is about dance and performance, not only club music. What is more fluid than the fluid itself? The main theme revolves around how different fields intersect, creating a seamless and cohesive whole.
It was also a significant challenge to include all the needed information, with such a huge line-up, to be visible in small sizes for Instagram.
The project was well received by the client and the artists contributing to that event. Object Blue, DJane who also performed there, posted herself posing with the printed poster on her Instagram account.
I’m Ola Procak, a graphic designer and visual artist based in Warsaw, Poland. Graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice, I specialize in digital, branding, and all music-related projects. I’ve been creating visual identities, posters, covers, editorials, and print for over seven years of my practice. Now I’m mostly developing my animation and 3D modelling skills.
Driven by metamodern concepts, Y2K style, and futurism, I like searching for symbols and mixing the primal with the contemporary. Bored by grid systems, and based on what is intuitive, I strive to create attention-grabbing abstract motifs, often incorporating 3D objects in my works. What fascinates me most about 3D programs as a medium is not just their ability to mimic reality but, more importantly, the incredible possibilities they offer in creating things that are impossible.
