Bringing the world home

ARTIST Damon Kowarsky knows how to find the soul of a city.

All you have to do is take a look at the printmaker’s art inspired by cities as diverse as Chicago, Istanbul, New York and Melbourne.

A life some could only dream of, Kowarsky has spent the past few years travelling the globe to bring cities to life on canvas.

“All cities, no matter how different they are, have a humanity,” Kowarsky said. “Cities are a place to get to know people.

“When I get to a city, I spend as much time drawing and getting to know the place and the people.”

But don’t expect to see many people in his art. “People look at my work and they will see very few figures or none,” he said. “They will see the city as empty, but cities are full of people.”

Kowarsky travels with a sketchbook and returns home to create his prints using media such as watercolour and ink.

An artist-in-residence at Trinity Grammar School since 2009, Kowarsky said the only difference between working in an art studio and at a school were “students walking around, not artists”.

“This is a terrific school with a well set up studio, it’s at least as good as some the artist studios I’ve worked in,” he said. “I talk to VCE students about their ideas and they get to see me working and realise art is something you can do for the rest of your life.

“You just pray that the students that have potential keep going.”

Kowarsky’s work will be on display in his exhibition Civitas at Trinity Grammar School, Charles St, Kew, until March 11, 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.