Magda Trzaski is a very magical artist that we’ve known for a number of years. She used to live out of the city in a Haunted farm (with actual graves on site) and grew black flowers in her garden. Now she lives in the city and we visit her and her dog Wally as often as we can. She started, when we first met her, making soft sculpture dolls, selling them in craft shows and art fairs. She now makes the most wonderful creatures, like possessed 1950s children’s illustrations that live and hide in little shadow boxes usually holding red balloons. We love her work and have asked her to make all the jewelery, accessories and findings for our upcoming gallery show of fashion in March. Her work has been shown all across North America, she has been featured in Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion, and collected by many. Her current show at the Bau-Xi gallery in Toronto, is called Darkest Corners and is haunting and sublime – as is she. If you can, visit it, if you cannot, we thought we would feature her as our most intriguing, most inspiring Pomegranate person.

The Pomegranate Questionnaire

 
1. Can you tell us a little about what you do?

I make sad little creatures trying to find themselves, and not really being able to because they are locked up, metaphorically and physically.

2. Why that?

It happened organically. I used to draw a lot more and at one point, about 10 years ago, these animal characters seemed to want become actual objects. At the time I was more into photography and screen printing, and the sculpting was more of a hobby. As the interest in becoming a photographer waned, I stopped trying to fight the fact that I liked to make things (sculpting/sewing/painting). I say fighting because I was brought up to value having a steady job with benefits and doing “artsy” stuff as a pastime.

3. Does it pay the bills? Does it matter?

No, it doesn’t pay the bills. But it can, and I’m working towards that being a reality. It matters because if it doesn’t then I work full time at a shit job for the rest of my life, and I don’t want to do that.

4. What book did you last read?

I just finished the last book in the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly. Okay fine I’ll confess, I also just finished Twilight. Pretty lame, but who can resist hot vampires?

5. What is your idea of prefect happiness?

That doesn’t exist. Right now I’m so overwhelmed with financial issues that perfect happiness equals not having to worry about money. What a downer, okay say none of us had to worry about that. Well, I can imagine myself in an old Victorian home with a beautiful overgrown garden with lots of old trees, and a pond with black swans. Far away from neighbours, but still in the city. Basically a place conducive to making dark work.

6. What achievement are you most happy about so far?

Ughh, I don’t know. Nothing feels like an achievement. There’s always so much more to achieve. I guess not giving up on this is an achievement.

7. What is your most treasured possession?

Walter. Of course he’s not an object, and he can’t be possessed. He owns me anyway, not the other way around. I’m not particularly attached to anything material. I have a white gold and jet mourning ring that I’m quite fond of. I’ve been looking for it for the past couple of weeks actually. I have a tendency to put things away in safe places and then not being able to find them. There are a few other things, but nothing’s popping into my mind as most of my belongings are in storage. oh, I know. Old photographs. I have a collection of old photographs that I have gathered over the years. They’re mostly family photos-sometimes complete albums-as well as images of houses-especially old farmhouses. I don’t understand how these things didn’t get passed down to family members and end up at garage sales. I pretend they’re images of long lost family members.

8. Have you swooned in the cinema?

No, but I probably teared up a few times. But I don’t remember over which movies.

9. Do you have a hero?

No. I mean there are people that I admire but I’m drawing a blank.

10. What is your motto or favourite expression or both?

Memento mori.

Photography © Sarah Pomegranate