PURO Q&A: ANIA WITKO

Where did your interest in stage design start? 

When I was still living in the Tricity, I woke up one morning with the thought that I would like to do theatre set design. My grandparents were in charge of costumes in the theatre. I dropped out of the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdansk and went to Warsaw, to the Scenography Department. I didn't get into these studies. Nevertheless, I decided to give it a try. I think there was quite a niche in the industry at the time. Someone was looking for help with documenting locations, then I assisted on set with the production of scenery, made props. And then it just went from there.

How did you know how to manufacture props?

I learned by trial and error. I loved do it yourself books as a child, most notably Every Child Can Do It, and I think reading them gave me a lot, because now I have these things coming out in my work.

What does your work consist of?

It's mainly set design. But it has a lot of sub-categories: window design, showrooms, set design for photo shoots, interiors and events. 

What do you enjoy doing the most? 

Research.

What does this stage of your work look like? 

If I have to design interiors, I first meet the client and interview them, I ask them what they like, what they definitely don't want. It's not just a conversation about interiors, I'm interested in whether he likes contrasts, what colours he prefers, materials, their combinations, whether he likes stone. It is the same in other cases. Sometimes I have to propose something from myself, and sometimes I just have to realise the client's vision.

What happens next? 

Moodboard, design, visualisation. And then it's detailed research - I look for furniture, materials, accessories, colours, style. 

What style do you like? What style do you work in? 

Eclecticism, a bit of vintage and a lot of handmade work. For example, I like to make compositions with flowers, fabrics, beads, paper.

This kind of handmade work has a meditative dimension. Do you relax then? 

It happens, although it is also often frustrating. Often we are doing something with my team for the first time, quickly, and you don't become an expert in a second, the moment you come up with the thing. Sometimes, when time is short, we act live, without a preparatory study.

Time is limited because you have a lot of projects? 

Sometimes we have a lot of projects going on at the same time, some staggered over time, lasting months) and some with a weekly deadline. Sometimes there are two sessions in a day, and sometimes we just have to deliver props or find a new chair for the showroom. Nevertheless, we try not to work more than eight hours a day, five days a week.

Do you have your own props storage?

No, we only store the dishes. We rent props, we make them ourselves, we download them from abroad, we order them from craftsmen. Right now, for example, we need an armchair. We pull it from a vintage shop, buy the fabric, upholster it. 

What predispositions do you need to have to do a job like yours? 

On this scale, you can't work alone. That's why I have two assistants on a permanent basis, we operate like a regular company. You need to have lots of ideas and be able to solve problems quickly. Flexibility comes in handy - we don't always do what we are 100 per cent comfortable with. 

If a client comes to you, they probably know your style. 

That would be the ideal situation, but that's not always the case. I have exorbitant taste. 

So how many of, say, twenty designs are one hundred per cent to your taste? How many could you boast about?

I think one. I'm a perfectionist in many respects, but sometimes you have to work out some compromises, often related to possibilities due to location, budget and deadline. 

How do you source clients? 

For a few years now, I don't have to source any more, they come forward themselves. Many of the collaborations are longer-term relationships and the clients come back. I like working with returning clients; both parties then know what to expect and what the process is like. And of course trust counts!

Would you call yourself more of an artist or a craftswoman? 

A bit of one and a bit of the other. We have a large base of artists and craftspeople that we enjoy working with. Glaziers, seamstresses, welders, architects, graphic designers, artists, and sometimes hobbyists. Every project is different and we select the right contractors for each one, unless we do it ourselves. When it comes to craftsmanship, we often commission real craftsmen - glassblowers, tailors, upholsterers, carpenters. Lately we have been working with a gentleman who blows glass, there is one micro-factory in Warsaw. We have a whole base of people we like to work with.

Tell us about your cooperation with PURO. 

I used to prepare a set design for PURO for the opening of a hotel. Now I was approached to sculpt and arrange the terrace of the Loreta bar. It was to be something temporary, for the winter. We came up with three concepts - they chose a snowman. It will be an almost two-and-a-half-metre snowman. Technologically set on a metal frame, with scooped out polystyrene balls, secured with papier mâché to create a waterproof shell, topped with polystyrene glue to give a snow texture, and painted white. Plus a specially knitted three-metre scarf. In addition to this, we cut out charcoals and carved a hat, which was covered with felt. You will be able to take photos with our snowman with the Warsaw skyline!