Person to Person: Doing arts makes me feel fulfilled

Tell us about yourself;

I don’t particularly like the term because it has been devalued over the past century, but you could say I am an artist. I graduated from a film university.

Where were you born?

I was born in Poland but my home and heart are now in Ireland.

Where do you live?

I live in Passage West with my wife, a whippet, a cat, and freshwater shrimps, I’ve been living in Ireland for the past nine years.

Best friend?

Probably my family members, my wife.

Person you most admire?

Michelangelo.

Where was your most memorable holiday?

After my first marriage fell apart, I went to India for an entire year. I’m not sure if you could call it holiday, but it was definitely the most memorable experience. Living in India reevaluates your entire way of perceiving life, death, love and the meaning of life itself.

Favourite TV programme?

I don’t watch TV programmes; I do know how it works as a graduated film producer.

Favourite radio show?

Radio 357.

Your signature dish if cooking?

Chicken soup.

Favourite restaurant?

The Bosun in Monkstown.

Last book you read?

Laughable Loves, by Milan Kundera.

Best book you read?

Dostoevsky’s Crime And Punishment.

Last album/CD/download you bought?

Hildur Gunadóttir. Joker.

Favourite song?

10 000 Days Wings by TOOL.

One person you would like to see in concert?

Rammstein live.

Do you have a pet?

I have a whippet called Leo and six sculptures of whippets in the back garden. Dominican priests asked me to create some sculptures for their garden. But the problem is I am an atheist. So, I did greyhounds.

‘Dominicans’ comes from Latin, meaning ‘dogs/hounds of the Lord’. Unfortunately, they didn’t find it funny, so the sculptures are now in my back garden. I love them.

Morning person or night owl?

Night owl, 100%, which is not easy because I have to open college every day at 7.20am.

Your proudest moment?

The final year exhibition of my visually impaired students’ work - sculptures. I was so proud of them.

We have a course of sculpture dedicated for visually impaired people in Douglas Street Campus.

Spendthrift or saver?

Saver, save even in words.

Name one thing you would improve in your area in which you live?

I would love to see more arts around my area. I miss culture, I lived my whole life in Cracow which is a culture capital of Poland.

What makes you happy?

Doing arts makes me feel fulfilled. I am not sure if you could call it happiness - after all, happiness is just our own perception of feeling good.

How would you like to be remembered?

I am not sure if we should be remembered at all, and if so, if we should spend our whole lives working towards that. There is a part of us that doesn’t want to disappear completely. I guess that is why we want to have kids.

CURRENT EXHIBITION

There is an exhibition of sculptures by Rosa and graphic illustrations by Ros Terry called In Chains running at the Douglas Street Campus of Further Education, Sawmill Street, Cork.

The artworks in the exhibition explore the theme of self-imposed mental enslavement. The metaphorical chains that restrict our freedoms, choices and potential.

As the sculptor Rosa explains: “There is no bigger prison than the one you build for yourself in your own mind; the strongest chains are the ones you put on yourself. There is no longer sentence than a life sentence that you impose on yourself. That is what we do.

In some cases, it’s society, the media, parents, or others who contribute to it - but ultimately, it’s us.

Both artists have approached the theme with their own particular insights and through their preferred media.

The exhibition is open to the public in Douglas Street Campus of Further Education, Sawmill Street, Cork, until November 8, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.