“Timeless Chopin” is a short animated film created using traditional oil painting techniques. The animation will be showcased at the Polish Pavilion during Expo 2025 in Osaka, Kansai.

I contributed as a matte painter, with my work serving as reference material for the oil-painting animators rather than being used as final frames in the film. As a result, my designs did not require the same level of detail as the completed painted frames but instead provided essential guidance for composition, atmosphere, and artistic direction.

I created two background designs depicting Castle Square in Warsaw—one illustrating its present-day appearance and the other reconstructing how it looked in the early 19th century, based on thorough historical research.

Additionally, I developed a sketch animation of the changing sky and cityscape for this shot. This animation served as an initial reference for a VFX artist, who then refined it to create the final reference for the oil painter.

Director: Piotr Dominiak.

Cast: Pawel Popko.

Read about the project: https://expo.gov.pl/en/news-2/timeless-chopin-a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-the-creation-of-a-unique-animation-for-the-poland-pavilion/