Diablice / She-devils

Logo | For Sale

I was browsing through my folklore books one day, looking for references for one of my projects, reading old Polish tales. I got hooked by the illustrations. In these old publications, the linocut pictures are primitivist, archaic, deeply symbolic, and warm from good old handcraft. For me: absolutely charming.

That day, I was in a particularly rebellious mood — bursting with pugnacious female energy. I wanted to design for practice, so I decided to make a folk logo for my girls and me. Folklore shows the meanings of things. Nothing there is random; everything is symbolic, going from and to somewhere. What could be a symbol of a strong woman, seen through the lens of folklore logic? How is a strong woman seen in a culture that prefers them obedient and thin?

As a she-devil.

I started to draw: a woman’s face framed by flowing hair, straight, elegant horns, a trident above, sharp, an omen taken straight from old Polish magic books. And the expression: no apology.

Diablice is available for licensing or purchase.