We are honoured to have a new mural painted by Mat (Mateusz Napieralski) from A Gust of Wind Studio, as part of a Calgary Arts Development project. Mat creates multidisciplinary designs, and has been based in Calgary since October 2016. “As soon as I arrived here, I became inspired by Canadian culture, outdoor-living and my new surroundings. Since then, I’ve been focusing more on nature, and organic shapes and forms. I’m always trying to translate it into my graphic, bold style of work.”

This is Mat’s first mural, as most of his work is presented digitally. “The mural was a great opportunity for some hands-on experience, which I really liked. I look forward to expanding the hands-on approach and exploring three-dimensional ways of creating work and experiment with laser cutting and ceramics. I also hope for more murals in the future!”

The mural loosely illustrates the “flow” of life that can be found in nature. “Whenever I observe the natural world (or watch nature documentaries) I’m always really fascinated by the pace and way of living of animals and plants. I like to think of their lives as co-dependent and intertwined. My mural is an attempt to capture that visually.”

The Calgary Arts Development project is important to our community. “I like to think of cities and urban landscapes as great canvases for this type of work. City centers tend to have very limited colour palettes, and it’s not very often that bold and colourful forms can be found on those buildings. I think mural projects are a great opportunity to generate more colourful, impactful and community-friendly spaces, where people can gather and celebrate their surroundings. I think they also give voice to local artists and encourage them to think wider about their own practice and how it can impact communities around them.”  

Timelapse and photo credit: John Veldhoen