Natalia Nowacka

Your artistic name, Extinct Sacrif, has a strong and mysterious atmosphere. What does this name mean to you, and how does it connect to your work?

It is a combination of the word Extinct and Sacrif, a shortened form that combines Sacrifice and Sacrum. Everybody has to sacrifice something to live their own way, especially when choosing a creative way of life. Besides that, I love drawing the skeletons of extinct animals. For me, it is a tribute to species that were driven to extinction by humans. I deeply identify with the suffering of nature, which is why I call myself “Extinct.”

Natalia Nowacka | Chosen Obeyed Forgotten | 2023

You began drawing seriously after leaving veterinary studies. How did that transition shape your relationship with anatomy, biology, and the body in art?

That was a breaking point in my life. I went through a severe depression, and I tried to heal myself by coming back to my teenage hobby. I started to connect my two greatest passions: zoology and drawing. Later, it became my job.

Veterinary studies made me hate anatomy, while art taught me to love it once again.

Bones, skulls, animals, and organic forms appear frequently in your works. What attracts you to these motifs?

Everything. Their form, structure, death, and the fact that they were once part of a living organism. I have been fascinated by bones for as long as I can remember. I have been collecting skulls, antlers, and feathers since childhood.

Natalia Nowacka | Pride | 2024

Your works often explore fear, anxiety, dreams, and the darker side of the subconscious. Why is it important for you to give visual form to these hidden emotions?

I have had many experiences throughout my life that I would describe as spiritual. I have always been a highly sensitive person and have always reacted very deeply to what was happening around me.

I very often have detailed dreams and nightmares that I can remember after waking up. I am fascinated by the dark side of nature. It is not evil, but mysterious and full of beauty. I am also deeply inspired by the Symbolist movement in art.

Many of your pieces feel connected to mythology, folklore, and ritual. How do ancient stories and legends influence your visual language?

Art is a creative ritual in itself. As humans, we have an ancient tendency toward rituals in our lives. It is in our blood, and we often perform them unconsciously. Nature is the source of the legends and beliefs of our ancestors. They feared and respected it, accepting the rhythm of life it imposed and giving spiritual meaning to many phenomena that seem ordinary today. Especially when we enter a wild forest at sunset, we see countless shadows and shapes that resemble creatures from another world. We still carry this unique mixture of fear and fascination with the unknown, and I love using it in my art.

Natalia Nowacka | Hekate | 2025

How has your experience as a tattoo artist influenced your drawing style, especially your use of contrast, line, and symbolism?

Well, it taught me to keep compositions very clean and clear for the customer. I had to work much faster and more efficiently.

In 2018, when I started my tattoo apprenticeship, I didn’t have an iPad or a good graphics tablet yet, so I had to do everything on paper. It was a really hard lesson for me, especially because I had to forget many things that the art academy had taught me and of course I had to combine education and work at the same time.

Natalia Nowacka | Hare | 2022

You have also created artwork for the music industry. How does music influence the mood, structure, or narrative of your visual works?

Artwork for music merchandise and album covers has to be clean and catch attention through composition and motifs as quickly and effectively as possible.

It also had a deep influence on my patience. Music clients are, to be honest, often difficult. I had to learn how to cooperate with people and their strong emotions. I had to combine their ideas with my style and my own ideas. It wasn’t personal work—it was a complete collaboration with other artists. That’s why it’s so complicated.