Cairn to God: A Brief Tribute to Mariusz Lewandowski
Saying goodbye to one of metal's most esteemed artists
On Saturday July 16th, the world lost Polish surrealist painter Mariusz Lewandowski. If you’re not familiar with the name, let me provide some context behind why his death is a significant one for metal the community.
Mariusz Lewandowski has been a successful artist for decades, but in 2016 the trajectory of his life -and the metal genre - were changed forever when the Seattle-based funeral doom act Bell Witch commissioned Lewandowski to complete the artwork for their upcoming record Mirror Reaper. Clearly the band had come to him for a reason; his catalog was rife with artwork that evoked a Lovecraftian sense of cosmic horror, but in a way where these faceless monoliths and otherworldly landscapes had an ecstatic beauty to them. These factors were ideal in capturing the essence of funeral doom, a genre that frequently fuses morbidity with the pulchritudinous.
Still, I don’t think anyone expected Mariusz to fashion one of the most iconic album covers of all time.
I mean, holy shit. Essence of Freedom is still as stunning five years later as it was when the band first premiered it in 2017. As good as the music is, I firmly believe that the record would have not have taken off as much as it had if it were not for this piece of art. Lewandowski’s work added its own element to the record, just as foundational and important as the guitars or vocals. It created this world that the music exists in, immediately establishing a mythos and history to whatever this supernatural entity crawling out of an abyssal mirror is and the world it belongs to.
From this point on, Mariusz became something of an “it” guy within the extreme metal community. Artists from all over the spectrum - black, death, doom, etc… - commissioned his work to adorn their records, and much like the feeling of terror and wonder exuded on Mirror Reaper, each album that wore his work felt like a part some bigger cosmic story.
What made his work even more cherished within the community, is the genuine appreciation he had for the genre.
"As you can see from several covers that I delivered to this industry, we get along quite well.” he told Bandcamp Daily in 2019.
Metal fans are simple creatures; show a bit for love for them, and they will reciprocate for decades. Lewanadowski’s enthusiasm bought him undying reverence from the genre, and unlike in most cases, it can be quantified; from 2017 and the debut of Essence of Freedom until his passing on Saturday, Lewandowski is credited on no less than 30 records that either borrowed from his pre-existing catalog or were totally new commissions. The metal sphere had truly embraced him, which only makes his untimely passing all the more heartbreaking.
In the end, it’s actually not really the end at all. Like Derek Riggs, the artist who first penned Iron Maiden’s infamous Eddie, or Dan Seagrave, who is responsible for some of the finest artwork from the 90’s death metal boom, Mariusz Lewandowski will continue to live on through his work. I would not be surprised if we soon begin to see a surplus of bands rifling through his catalog so that they too can be a part of his legacy.
RIP Mariusz Lewandowski (1960 - 2022)
Visit Lewandowski.art