"My eyes sparkled and widened. I was truly mesmerized by R2-D2, which looked at me from the poster hanging on the wall of the cinema. Unfortunately, I was too young to watch A New Hope," recalls Maciej Kwolek, a 45-year-old model maker from Bażanówka near Sanok in south-eastern Poland. Though it happened almost four decades ago, the memory of his first Star Wars experience remains vivid.
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
When young Kwolek watched The Empire Strikes Back, he completely fell for the science-fiction world created by George Lucas: laser sword battles, spaceships, futuristic interiors and above all - robots. "I could stare at them for hours. I never cared for casting and the action was always in the background for me," he admits.
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
The Pole claims as a young boy he visited cinema 25 times to watch The Empire Strikes Back. After the release of the following episode - Return of the Jedi - he became even more regular guest to the cinema. He saw it 39 times. Ever since VHS tapes were introduced in Poland, Kwolek watches at least one episode of famous saga weekly.
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
First small models inspired by Star Wars were made by him in 1999, after Lucas shot The Phantom Menace. Put together without any instructions, and composed mostly of cardboard, they looked very cubic and lacked details. Still, he found this kind of model making far more interesting than work on mass productions.
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
Five years ago Kwolek's childhood sentiment encouraged him to choose R2-D2 as the first full-size model he would make. A few sheets of cardboard and pile of rubbish, e.g. plastic pipes and tops of aerosol cans, were used to construct it. In later works he made use of old chair, broken pen, plumbing hose, curtain rod and even an empty inhaler belonging to his asthmatic mother.
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
Kwolek is a technologist in a car parts manufacturer. "I come back home, grab something to eat, lie down on sofa with my wife, then rush to the studio to get entirely absorbed by my models. Midnight is usually the limit," he tells, and adds that he would never allow himself to neglect family or job duties.
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
Kwolek has made five huge models so far. Compared to originals he intentionally changed some parts, never called them 'Star Wars replicas' or put on sale. "The child who was amused by the saga still lives inside me. That's why I keep doing it," he smiles.
It takes Kwolek between three and six months to complete every model. The most difficult and time-consuming turned out Executor Destroyer, as the characteristic structure of its body had to be imitated by tens of thousands of punches done in paper shell.
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
Currently the 45-year-old is focusing on model based on Juggernuat, a clone combat tank. The only model of the vehicle he heard of was made by LEGO. Let the Force be with him, allowing for completion of this masterpiece and many successive ones!
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
PATRYK OGORZAŁEK
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