It is a challenge to come across a photographer who perfectly combines inspired personal work and a successful career in advertising, whilst maintaining his particular aesthetics.  Although many may aspire to it, very few actually manage to be fresh and innovative in both fields. If you furthermore add a taste for surrealism, a touch of playfulness and an extraordinary technique, then the most probable outcome, is that your man is called Jan Kriwol. This young Polish photographer has already caused quite a stir with his photos and their dreamy, almost surreal, touch. In his quest for the perfect balance between the artistic and the commercial, Jan has managed to create a unique universe where everything is possible. Humor is a key factor in his work; a humor that liberates and opens new paths into understanding reality, making even the most common of situations appear intriguing.

Jan Kriwol often uses big city landscapes as the background for his photos, but then suddenly an unexpected element is introduced, for example, a giant shoe that occupies an entire street, as if the whole scene emerged from a parallel dimension. In his latest series, we witness a boy with a very special gift of his own glowing shadow! This surreal take on everyday life has gained him a lot of respect in the industry and his clients vary from Saatchi & Saatchi and BBDO to Reebok and Quicksilver. Jan Kriwol admits that his inspiration is sourced from various points, from things he sees on the streets and in the newspapers, his numerous trips all around the globe or from his favorite movies. Comics are also a big influence, since he loves to study lighting and composition in his photos as if they were comic strips. Kriwol even uses a technique that makes his photos look like crumbled images out of a magazine. As for his future plans, he will start working on his next project after an inspirational trip to South East Asia that will last for over six weeks. Yatzer can’t wait to see Kriwol’s new work and we are more than sure that he will manage to trigger our imagination once again with his inspired imagery.