Zofia Kuligowska
Zofia Kuligowska, is an artist, PhD candidate, and neurodivergent mother. Zofia’s work centres around performance art and language, with a focus on how neurodivergent individuals engage with language as a tool for creative expression. Diagnosed with autism in adulthood, Zofia brings a personal and professional lens to her artistic research, combining auto-ethnographic methods with collaborative practices.
MA University of Arts in Poznań, Poland
PhD student and lecturer
What specific barriers did you face as a member of (insert minority group), and how did you navigate these challenges?
I was frequently misunderstood or was unable to engage in community due to social anxiety and selective mutism. I went into therapy and read a lot about troubles I was experiencing, putting myself in situations that would be challenging for me to build resistance, eventually I understood it is my quality as neurodivergent person and I gained tools to build more trust towards myself and take better care for myself which had an effect in building self esteem to go out as I was and gaining pride in who I am and who I am becoming.
What were the most critical steps you took to enter the creative industry after graduation?
I worked in Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw
Established a duo called "Rudger Power" an experimental music combined with spoken word - consisting of myself (autistic) and my partner Wojtek Bernatowicz (adhd)
Entered a PhD school in Academy of Art in Szczecin/Poland
Can you describe a portfolio piece or project that significantly helped you land your current job?
My writing and performative practice in Rudger Power duo paved the way for me to begin researching language use linked to neurodivergence - which is my main interest in my PhD.
What specific skills did you find most valuable in your early career, and how did you develop them?
In my early career I trained and worked as graphic designer, I learned skills and software that was useful in later stages of my career.
What networking methods did you find most effective when building connections in your industry?
I reach out to organisations or people via email and attach description of the work I am currently working on. I therefore meet interested individuals in person to talk more about it.
How did you find mentors or advisors in your field, and what role did they play in your career progression?
Mostly by chance, in University, among other artists.
I learn from their experience, I see more thanks to their perspective, we collide ideas and their outcomes. I learned from their stories and recommendations.
What resources or support networks were most helpful to you as a (insert minority group) professional in the creative industry?
Mostly books about neurodivergence, autistic rhetoric, neuroqueering and meetings with fellow neurodivergent artists.
Based on your experience, what specific actions should students take to prepare for and succeed in the (insert industry)?
In the arts - writing about their works before during and after making them to see what was their vision, how it developed and how the effects were relevant to the initial idea. To map the space between idea and real outcome and adjust resources with each work to be able to foresee it in the future when applying for a project, job or a grant.