Sebastian Onufszak – “embrace the chance of failure”

Abstract maximalism with Sebastian Onufszak

This week Creative Chair is in Augsburg, Germany where we’re talking to the multi-talented creative Sebastian Onufszak.

The style of Sebastian’s work is difficult to define, which is something we explore in this interview. What is clear is that his projects are bold and impressively detailed.

There is a small selection of images here, but we strongly recommend that (once you’ve read this article) you see more from Sebastian Onufszak on his website and Behance.

Your projects demonstrate various styles. The one common denominator seems to be the Dadaist influences. How would you describe your style?

I wouldn’t want to limit myself to one particular style or break my visual language down to one underlying factor — although I am quite passionate about artistic movements, like Dadaism, expressionism or cubism in which relation I am trying to find a fresh angle to the established aesthetic.

I am always drawn to connect entities that didn’t seem to match straightaway. That could happen through mixing techniques or combining media.

If I had to sum up my style in one sentence: Always creating the unique and welcome and embrace the chance of failure.

Paula Scher said “Less is more and more is more. It’s the middle that’s not a good place”. As someone with a maximalist style, would you agree?

Yes, I echo that approach. I love contrast — the chaos, as well as the order; monochrome as well as polychrome, opulence, and minimalism.

If you succeed in merging contradiction or antithesis, you’re off to something exciting.

You’ve worked for a number of big-name clients, but you also publish many personal projects. What has been your favourite professional project, and, how does your process differ when working on someone else’s brief?

In general, I am always excited about the most recent project since it reflects further development in my work.

However, there are projects that were invaluable to my professional development, for instance, the Ray-Ban illustrations which was one of my first projects as a freelance designer, or the Key Visual for Adobe, to name another.

When it comes to clients, I think I work best when I’m presented with a clear and concise brief and simultaneously with absolute creative freedom. A useful briefing sets the scene but lets me rave from there.

And finally, if you died and got reincarnated as a song, what would that song be?

That’s a good one. I think it would be “The Robots” by Kraftwerk from the album “The Man-Machine”, released in my year of birth.