Wolfgang Mair was a well-known name in Austrian football for a long time. He won championship titles and was part of the national team. Even then, art was a balance to the tough football business. Today, the East Tyrolean, who lives in the city of Salzburg, lives from his art and is completely absorbed in his vocation.
The footballer Wolfgang Mair was one of the fixtures at FC Tirol and landed in 2005 at the newly founded FC Red Bull Salzburg. Even then, art was a good counterbalance to his own soccer career. “Painting always brought me down after the game, grounded me and allowed me to find myself again,” he recalls. After a last assignment at FC Liefering, he finally ended his successful career and settled down in the city of Salzburg.
What to do?
After his active career, it was clear to him that he wanted to use his creative streak to gain a foothold. It trained as a graphic designer and thus managed to become self-employed. “It’s nice when you can follow your passion,” says Mair. “Your job has to be good for you, the sun doesn’t always shine every day.” For Kowalski, his stage name, it shines more often than he’d dreamed of. After painting became more and more important in his everyday work, larger and larger commissions and exhibitions followed. One of his highlights was the portrait of soccer star Neymar Jr., which he was allowed to paint during the Brazilian’s 27th birthday party. But also the cooperation with Wings for Life and the EC Red Bull Salzburg drew a lot of attention. For the second time, Mair was allowed to design the jerseys of the ice hockey players. After the game they were auctioned off for a good cause.
Music as a creative companion
In addition to art, music is one of his great passions. “When I get up in the morning, a good plate and a cup of coffee are part of my fixed rituals,” he explains. He can also work more creatively with music. His masterpieces also include portraits of some great musicians. Amy Winehouse or Prince hang on the walls of his studio, alongside free work and various commissioned works. He paints some pictures in a few hours, some hang for several months before they leave his studio. “It’s always difficult to say how long it takes me to paint a picture. Images just happen,” he explains.
Salzburg as the center of life
Wolfgang Mair has been living in the city of Salzburg for ten years now and sees the city of Mozart as the ideal starting point for his artistic work. Here he has built up a network of suppliers and producers. The mountains and lakes in SalzburgerLand also appeal to him. “I also think it’s great that people like to wear traditional costumes here,” he says. In terms of culture, the city could be a bit more modern. But this is a process that can take time. Just like the creation of his pictures.
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