boy lying down, drawing

Illustrations Held at the Mercy of Secrets by Patrycja Podkościelny

portait of woman, drawing

“I love to draw plants and faces,” Patrycja Podkościelny tells me, “‘cause you can hide [in] there a lot of secrets.” Known for her compelling characters, the figures in her illustrations appear at the mercy of what they’re keeping. They tell none of it but rather suffer the consequences instead; whether they’re being bullied by wire cutters or beheading themselves, the end looks near.

Podkościelny works as a freelance, full-time illustrator, but she’s also an academic. She’s in the midst of obtaining a PhD and is on her second year.

boy lying down, drawing

Figure with two heads slicing them off with swords

old man drawing, and hands. trapped

Portrait of person wearing crown

Portrait of person with decorative flourishes

mixed-media art

Images © Patrycja Podkościelny.