Norbert Rybarczyk

• born 1982
• born in Kielce
• he lives and creates his works in Warsaw
• he specializes in illustration, comics and concept art

“I discovered comics in the early childhood. To draw my own stories and characters was my first dream, which has accompanied me until this day as a hobby and a profession. Kajko i Kokosz, Kleks, superheroes and Thorgal. Those are my comics roots”.

He studied in the Institute of Fine Arts at the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce. He has participated in many group exhibitions, including in Berlin, Los Angeles and Sydney.

The most important publications: “Duchy Orwaldu” (art), story by N. Rybarczyk, Amarok Comics, 2019; “Mali Kajko i Kokosz: Coś na muchy” in the “Kajko i Kokosz: Nowe Przygody” anthology, Vol. 1: “Obłęd Hegemona”, Egmont, 2016; “Wpatrzeni ze wzgórza” (available language versions: Polish, English, and French), Centrala, 2016; “Legendy Kung Fu 2”, “Martial Arts Zine 4”, Sidor Publishing, 2015; “Detektyw Miś Zbyś na tropie”, Vol. 1‒3 (colour), art by P. Nowacki, story by M. Jasiński, Kultura Gniewu, 2013‒2016; author of the covers for the “JEJU” magazine, 2005‒2009.

Norbert Rybarczyk often resigns from excessive detail in the background; despite that, the message sent by the images is still legible. His drawings using the cartoons style are, however, very precise, although simplified.
Rybarczyk, uses characteristic, a bit zin-like, sharp strokes; therefore, the lines with no rounding and softness still have an effect on the overdrawing of characters.
What makes his images stand out is incredibly vivid colours. The palette he uses is derived from illustrations for children, but it is not infantile in the least.
What is characteristic for Rybarczyk is whole-page panels (or even double splash pages), where he plays with the perspective: he sometimes resigns completely from depicting depth and intentionally decides to draw flat two-dimensional images.
His comics often include a change of planes. Some panels are enlarged so much that the depicted content loses its original meaning and is situated in the proper context only in the next images. Sometimes, a page consists of symmetrically placed panels showing the same things but closer and closer.
The close-ups and the absence of perspective confuse readers, who are not entirely sure what they are looking at. Processing the image, they have to construct a point of reference on their own to be able to situate all elements of the panel correctly. At the same time, that ostensible chaos in the image is accompanied with equally dynamic characters, usually depicted in motion.

Norbert Rybarczyk Gallery

More information about the artist: be.net/rybb