Szwedzki is the pseudonym of a street artist active mainly in the Silesian Voivodeship, creator of murals and graffiti. It is also the name of the character in his typically humorous murals, depicting the same comic-style figure in blue pants and a yellow shirt. [1] [2]
Szwedzki is an immigrant from Sweden living in Sosnowiec. [3] [4] [5] He painted his first murals in 2000. [2] [6] In the early years, his work was sometimes described as vandalism, but in later years, with the growing popularity of street art in Poland, it became accepted as a form of regional art. [7] The artist's goal is to entertain viewers. [2] Szwedzki's later murals often include a humorous comment in the form of a comic-style speech bubble. [2] [7] [8] [9]
In 2013, the character was described in the Katowice supplement of Gazeta Wyborcza as known to everyone. [2] In 2014, a rally called Following Szwedzki's Trail was held in Dąbrowa Górnicza. [10] [11] In 2015, the artist was described by Dziennik Zachodni as the Silesian Banksy , and his murals were recognized as the most distinctive regional murals in Poland. [6] In 2019, Dziennik Zachodni called him one of the most recognizable street artists in Silesia. [12]
In 2022, he created, among others, a satirical mural about Russian President Vladimir Putin. [13] [14]