This story originally appeared on the Gents Cafe Newsletter. You can subscribe here.
On September 30, we launched Unhurried, a quarterly digital publication curating the finest stories from our archive of over 400 essays. Each issue will have a special, collectible cover, expressly created for Gents Cafe by a different artist.
The cover of Issue 01 was designed by Mateusz Napieralski, a Polish-Canadian illustrator known professionally as Gust of Wind Studio (@gust_of_wind_studio). For this interview, we sat down with him to discover what ignited his love for art at the tender age of six, how a United Nation contest marked a turning point for his career, and of course how he enjoys his coffee.
Do you remember the first drawing or artwork that truly sparked your passion for illustration, and when did you realize visual storytelling would become your life’s work?
The spark came when I was about six years old and watched my art teacher create a sculpture. It wasn’t illustration per se, but watching her take an idea from her mind and shape it with her hands into something physical that others could see was mind-blowing for me at that early age. That experience of turning a vision into reality sparked my desire to create, and I’ve been creating ever since.
Illustration itself, however, came much later. I was in my early twenties when I realized that being a professional illustrator was actually a career option, and pursued a formation in graphic design. It was a bit of a journey to get there.
I never consciously decided that this would be my “life’s work.” Instead, I simply listened to my inner voice and followed what I found interesting and resonant, and that path ultimately led me to illustration as a career.
I simply listened to my inner voice and followed what I found interesting and resonant, and that path ultimately led me to illustration as a career.
What does this art form represent to you personally, and what makes it such a powerful medium for communication?
What makes it so powerful to me is color—I absolutely love color, you could describe it as an international language. Everyone connects with color regardless of their cultural background; it’s something you can simply look at and immediately feel an emotion.
The same principle applies to illustration as a whole. You can convey a story, a mood, or a feeling instantly through visuals. It operates much like music: where music speaks to you through hearing, visual illustration speaks through sight, allowing you to grasp an idea or narrative in a single moment. I love communicating visually by bringing together shapes, geometry, and color to create compositions that people can immediately connect with just by looking at them. That immediacy is what makes it such a compelling medium for me.
Is there a specific artist or artwork that contributed to inspiring and shaping your creative and professional journey?
Andy Warhol was definitely an early influence. While most people know him as a pop artist, he was actually a very successful commercial illustrator before making that shift. Learning his story—and seeing that you could collaborate with brands and apply illustration to products and packaging—really excited me. It opened my eyes to the commercial application of my own art.
Along with Warhol, Aries Moross, a contemporary British designer and illustrator, was another early influence. Seeing these artists build thriving careers as commercial illustrators showed me that visual art could be a viable, exciting profession.
Looking back at your portfolio, is there a past project that holds a special place in your heart—and why?
A project that really stayed with me is one I did right when I first went freelance. It was an exhibition piece for the United Nations centered around their Sustainable Development Goals. Each year they focus on global objectives for the planet, and I was asked to illustrate the goal for clean water and sanitation.
That project was one of the very first pieces I created on my own as an independent illustrator. Not only did it have a meaningful mission behind it, but it also opened a lot of doors, gave me great exposure, and attracted my initial clients. It became a pivotal cornerstone of my portfolio early on.
Are there any recurring topics that you keep returning to as an illustrator?
I’m passionate about so many different things, but topics like community, creativity, nature, and the well-being of the planet constantly surface in my work. Connection, joy, and happiness are definitely core themes you can see throughout my illustrations.
More recently, I’ve also been focusing on mental health. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder a few years ago, which gave me new personal experiences to draw from creatively—asking myself how I can turn what I’ve been through into something valuable for others through art.
In our current world, we’re constantly bombarded by social media, the internet, and societal pressures, making it hard to stay in touch with ourselves and directly impacting our mental health. Creating art serves as a mindful practice that helps slow down, calm the nervous system, and find moments of peace and presence. Translating those experiences into visual form helps encourage others to slow down and cultivate that same inner quiet.
Translating those experiences into visual form helps encourage others to slow down and cultivate that same inner quiet.
What instantly connected you to the vision behind Gents Cafe?
It was truly our initial conversation and the way we connected. You spoke about the intentionality behind everything you do—about giving yourself the space to think before acting, slowing down, and carrying real intention in your work. Those core values came through so clearly when we first met.
I also feel a strong shared appreciation for the quiet moments in life. I’m very much an old soul; I love spending time on my own, journaling, enjoying a cup of coffee, listening to music, and reading books. Those exact qualities resonated loud and clear from your side.
The cover for Issue 01 captures a gentleman in a moment of quiet solitude—cocktail in hand, listening to music. How did this specific concept take shape, and what details did you use to evoke that precise, unhurried mood?
You came to me with a very open brief, which is always wonderful because it shows total trust in the artist. I loved diving into the concepts and exploring how to visually capture that solitary moment where you can sit with yourself, enjoying a drink or a coffee.
I began with loose mood boards and written concepts, sending over three different ideas for how to translate that feeling. Once we narrowed down a direction, I moved into sketches. I actually took reference photos of myself holding a coffee cup and a drink to build out the composition, constantly asking what I wanted the viewer to feel.
Initial sketches started as a close-up of a character with a coffee, but through our collaborative process, we expanded the scene into a gentleman relaxing in an armchair with a drink, listening to music. All these individual elements came together to create an atmosphere that instills a peaceful state of mind when you look at it, and I feel we truly achieved the goal of the illustration.
As a creative director and artist, how do you preserve space for deep focus and cultivate your own unhurried moments during the week?
I rely on daily morning meditation and spiritual practice to ground myself before starting any other activity. If I happen to skip it, I can definitely feel the difference in my day. Taking walks with my dog is another crucial habit—getting outside for 15 or 20 minutes allows me to get in the zone, slow down, and calm my nervous system.
Going to the gym gives me dedicated time for myself, while journaling serves as a form of mental hygiene where I can clear my head and write down ideas. I can get a bit spiritual at times, so I’ll often ask big questions and write down whatever reflections come back; it helps clear my mind, connect with the bigger picture, and gain clarity on my next steps, whether creatively or in life.
To maintain my creative energy, I love visiting art galleries and exhibitions. Above all, I try to stay away from screens as much as possible so I’m not constantly comparing myself to others’ work or industry trends. Those moments spent offline are easily the most nourishing.
To wrap up and echo the artwork itself: if you were settling down to read Issue 01 tonight, what drink would be in your hand, and what record would be playing in the background?
If it were earlier in the day, it would definitely be coffee. I have an espresso machine at home—I’m not the best barista, but I’m good enough to make a solid Americano for myself. If it were the afternoon or evening, I’d opt for a Whiskey Sour, which is my drink of choice most of the time.
As for music, I would put on Sade—specifically her The Best of Sade album—or perhaps some Whitney Houston. My partner is the primary vinyl collector in our home, so while I tend to buy records and have built up a library, I definitely need to get better at putting them on and listening to them more often.
