Mirek Struzik

Specialized in Fine Art Design.

Mirek Struzik

About Mirek Struzik

Mirek Struzik is a sculptor and specializes in art in public space. He has successfully completed countless projects all around the world, from Dubai to Chicago. Most of his works are made from stainless steel and are illuminated with programmable RGB lamps. The most characteristic feature of his art is its ability to transform, when the sun sets. At dusk, when the lighting system engages, they completely transform their character and become even more attractive and eye-catching. One of the major topics Mirek presents with his art is transferring objects of nature from micro to macro scale.

  • Winner of the A' Design Award.
  • Specialized in Fine Art Design.
  • Original Design.
  • Creative, Diligent and Innovative.
  • All Designs
  • Fine Art
Bubble Forest Public Sculpture

Bubble Forest Public Sculpture

Fine Art Design

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Interview with Mirek Struzik

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
I was born in 1956 in Żarów, a small industrial town in Lower Silesia, Poland. [MIREK: what first drew you to art — a person, a moment, a place?] My path wasn't a straight line. Before completing my degree I spent eight years working in design studios, where I obtained several invention patents. I graduated in 1989 from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław with a Master of Fine Arts in sculpture, and I also studied industrial design. So I never felt I had to choose between artist and designer. For me a sculpture has to be both: an idea, and a properly engineered object that will stand outdoors for generations.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
STRUZIK ART LTD is my studio in Wrocław, Poland. We design, engineer, fabricate and install large-scale sculptures for public space, mostly in electropolished 316L stainless steel with programmable RGB lighting. We are not an intermediary: the same team that develops the concept takes it through 3D visualization, engineering, fabrication, shipping, installation and after-care, working with trusted steel specialists in Wrocław and licensed structural engineers in the countries where we build. Our works stand in Europe, North America and Asia — from Burj Khalifa Plaza in Dubai and Etnografiska museet in Stockholm to the City of Dallas, Texas A&M University and Tongluo Science Park in Taiwan.
What is "design" for you?
Design is a form of creativity that raises both the aesthetics and the functionality of objects and places.
What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
Furniture from the Bauhaus school — for its simplicity and functionality.
What was the first thing you designed for a company?
A logo for the student work cooperative "Spółdzielnia Pracy Studenckiej Robot".
When do you feel the most creative?
Whenever I happen to have a good idea — there is no set time for creativity.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
I focus on two things: achieving an artistic effect that satisfies me, and feasibility — all my designs must be possible to build in practice.
What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
A kind of emotional tension that leads to breaking through barriers and limitations.
What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
Pride, satisfaction — and stress about how the public will react.
What makes a design successful?
Many factors make a design successful. For me it is important to meet the client's requirements perfectly, to meet my own expectations, and, as a result, to actually create something new.
From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
It's a huge responsibility, because a designer's work can last for many years, even generations, and we risk creating something that will irritate a great many people. On the other hand, a good design will survive the test of time.
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
It's uncharted territory, but we face a serious risk of uniformity — so many designs will end up too similar to each other.
When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
My last exhibition was part of LAGI 2022 Mannheim — Beautiful Forms of Energy, an exhibition of renewable-energy art designs at BUGA 23, the German Federal Horticulture Show in Mannheim (2023). I don't focus on exhibitions - I keep installing permanent sculptures in popular places. For me, it's better than exhibitions.
Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
I get my inspiration from nature. I observe it and transpose objects and structures found in nature from the micro to the macro scale.
How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
I try to achieve distilled, synthesized forms in my sculptures, based on an analysis of nature.
Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
I live in Poland. One benefit of this place is that we see many things from a certain distance, which often makes a fresh approach to a topic easy. On the other hand, Poland has no public art investment programs, so I mostly work in other countries.
How do you work with companies?
Most of my clients are large real estate developers. I also cooperate with many business and technology partners all over the world.
Can you talk a little about your design process?
I always start with thorough research into the subject and everything surrounding it — this can include the planned installation site's history and cultural context. Then I think of concepts that could work and sketch them. I make scale models, which are 3D-scanned, and from that point I proceed with my team, developing the designs in the computer space using 3D modelling and CAD software as well as lighting design software. We prepare realistic renderings, including videos and lighting simulations, set accurately in the represented surroundings.
What are 5 of your favorite design items at home?
LG OLED TV, Alienware laptop, Atlantic watch, Sony camera, a coffee table that I made on my own.
Can you describe a day in your life?
I wake up late, around 8, and start by contacting my team members and suppliers, then work on models and sketches. I work with many clients in other time zones, so I often spend afternoons and evenings on video calls with people from all over the world.
Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
Young designers must do a lot of manual, hands-on work at every stage of the process. They need to personally use the tools and materials to really learn them — without that, they will never get genuinely good and create designs that actually work.
From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
The biggest positive is always having a chance to create something genuinely good and successful. A negative is the stressful nature of always trying to meet the client's needs.
What is your "golden rule" in design?
Where possible, always stick to the golden proportions — and to feng shui principles.
What skills are most important for a designer?
Imagination, the ability to break your own limitations, and a deep understanding of materials and their processing methods.
Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
Designing always starts with pen and paper, but then we work with high-end computers and software such as Rhino 3D, Twinmotion, Blender, SketchUp, ESA Pro 2 and many others. For hardware, it's a whole studio full of heavy-duty metal processing tools and machines — everything for cutting, welding, grinding, polishing and bending.
Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
It's very hard — I manage a sheer number of projects at once, and their rotation is unpredictable.
How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
I mostly design large-scale sculptures for public spaces. These are complex projects, often using advanced materials and technologies, including electronics for dynamic lighting control. The process usually takes a few months of the whole team's effort, not just mine.
What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
Clients ask many different questions, but the most common is about the durability of the object and the time needed for the project.
What was your most important job experience?
The most important experience in my career was the project for Emaar in Dubai — I designed, built and installed a set of 14 monumental Dandelions right under the Burj Khalifa in 2017.
Who are some of your clients?
A very wide spectrum: from real estate developers such as Emaar, through scientific facilities and universities (e.g. Texas A&M University, Academia Sinica), to municipalities (e.g. the City of Dallas).
What type of design work do you enjoy the most and why?
Projects where the sculpture becomes part of a community's daily life — at a library, a university, a hospital, an airport. In Dallas, Fruits of Knowledge came together with a contest in which children and teenagers write stories and make art inspired by the sculpture. When a work starts other people's creativity, that is the most rewarding thing for me.
What are your future plans? What is next for you?
The next big step will be to incorporate not only dynamic lighting but also kinetic elements, so that the sculptures actually move. I have also created a photovoltaic design for LAGI Mannheim and hope to build a functional prototype this year.
Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
I start by developing the concept and early sketches on my own, but as soon as I know what I want to create, I assemble a team of computer graphics experts and engineers. Together we create 3D models, renderings and realistic lighting simulations.
Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
I can't say much because of the confidential nature of my contracts, but I can disclose that I'm working on a kinetic sculpture project.
How can people contact you?
It's best to email me at ms@struzik-art.com. I also encourage you to visit my website, www.struzik-art.com, where you can see all my recent projects in hi-res photos and videos, and learn more about my company, STRUZIK ART LTD.
Any other things you would like to cover that have not been covered in these questions?
I'd like to thank the people who make these works possible — our team, engineers, fabricators, and the cities and institutions that trust an artist from Wrocław with their public spaces. And to everyone who stops by one of my sculptures after dark: stay a few minutes, the light changes slowly.

Designer of the Day Interview with Mirek Struzik

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I have an extensive background in art, design and engineering. I graduated with an MFA in sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław in 1989, after eight years working in design studios and earning several invention patents. Since then I've designed and installed large-scale public sculptures for clients including Emaar Properties (Dubai), the City of Dallas, Texas A&M University, the National Museums of World Culture (Stockholm), and Hsinchu Science Park (Taiwan), among others.
How did you become a designer?
I have an extensive background in art, design and engineering. I graduated with an MFA in sculpture from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław in 1989, after eight years working in design studios and earning several invention patents. Since then I've designed and installed large-scale public sculptures for clients including Emaar Properties (Dubai), the City of Dallas, Texas A&M University, the National Museums of World Culture (Stockholm), and Hsinchu Science Park (Taiwan), among others.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
Three things matter most: the site's context, engineering feasibility, and artistic effect. I always start with research into the site's history and surroundings, then sketch concepts, build scale models that get 3D-scanned, and develop the piece digitally with my team using CAD and lighting simulation software before anything is fabricated.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
Designing itself is a kind of emotional tension — breaking through barriers and limitations. Once a piece is realized, that turns into pride and satisfaction, mixed with stress about how the public will react
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
Eight years in design studios before finishing my degree, and experience as a machining technician, gave me a practical, hands-on understanding of materials and engineering that most artists don't have. My biggest supporters were the Sugarman Foundation in the US and the opportunity to create a series of sculptures for the Botanical Garden of the University of Wrocław. Artistically, I've been most influenced by studying modern sculpture — Katarzyna Kobro and Kandinsky especially.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
Kinetic sculpture is where I'm headed next — moving past dynamic lighting into sculptures that actually move. I'm developing a photovoltaic design from LAGI Mannheim and hope to build a working prototype this year.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
Do the hands-on, practical work yourself — materials and tools, not just drawings.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
Don't let the art outrun what can actually be built — feasibility and artistic ambition have to be solved together, not the art first and the engineering after. Trust your intuition when judging your own work, but never at the expense of what the client and the site actually need.
What is your day to day look like?
I wake up late, around 8, and start by contacting my team and suppliers, then work on models and sketches through the day. Because many of my clients are in other time zones, afternoons and evenings often go to video calls with people around the world.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
I don't design to what's currently hip. My form language — biomimicry, steel, light — comes from nature, not from trend reports, and I'd rather it stay recognizably mine than follow a season.
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
For public sculpture specifically: whether the scale is right for the site, whether the piece has something to say, and whether it fits the character of its surroundings. Beyond that, I rely on intuition — and on whether the piece still holds up years later.
How do you decide if your design is ready?
I always feel sort of a hunger for improving my designs and this feeling never truly goes away. But at some point it gets weaker and then I know it's time to move forward.
What is your biggest design work?
The Dandelions installation under the Burj Khalifa for Emaar in Dubai (2017) — fourteen monumental sculptures, and still the most important experience of my career. CODAworx also recognized the Dubai Dandelions among its top public sculptures. Right now I'm most excited about the kinetic sculpture project and the photovoltaic prototype for LAGI Mannheim.
Who is your favourite designer?
Katarzyna Kobro and Barbara Hepworth — if I could talk to any designer across time, it would be one of them.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
I live and work in Wrocław, Poland. [MIREK: favorite city, and whether music is part of your creative process — both open questions.] Distance from the major art markets actually helps me see things freshly; the drawback is that Poland has no public art investment programs, so most of my work happens abroad. I believe good design affects people psychologically, for the better — that's part of why I design for public space rather than private collections.
Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
I start every project alone — concept and early sketches — then bring in a team of computer graphics experts and engineers once I know what I want to build.
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
My clearest example is Fruits of Knowledge in Dallas — alongside the sculpture, we're running a contest for children and teenagers to write stories and make art inspired by it. Seeing a piece spark other people's creativity is one of the most rewarding parts of this work.
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
My Platinum A' Design award is a very strong point in my resume and it also results in a nice boost for my website www.struzik-art.com positioning in search results.

Extended Interview with Mirek Struzik

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
I have an extensive background in art, design and technology. I graduated from Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw, Poland, I spent 8 years working in industrial design offices and I’m also an experienced machining technician. I’m also an inventor and own several patents.
How did you become a designer?
Constant amazement with beauty of nature. I design to appreciate it by transferring natural structures from micro to macro scale.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
I mostly design sculpture for public space and wish to work with art as much as possible.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
The most important thing is practice and contact with actual materials.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
When it’s about sculpture in public space, I take many factors into consideration: if the piece’s scale is adequate, it’s message and character of the surroundings.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
Everyone should invest in good design, because it’s the best way to give things unique character.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
I keep thinking about a technologically advanced kinetic structure.
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
My biggest supporter was the Sugarman Foundation in USA. Equally important was a chance to create a series of sculptures for the Botanical Garden of University of Wrocław.

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