🇪🇺 TEEN European Digital Community: Sugi of Hidden Parts from city of Dublin, Ireland

Sugi of Hidden Parts

Marcel Matys is a Polish, transgender freelance visual artist, designer, and writer based in Dublin, Ireland, with a strong background in theatre. In 2023, he received a First Class Honours BA in Theatre Studies and English Literature from Trinity College Dublin, where he specialized in set design and playwriting. Since then, he has created solo and collaborative work for theatres and galleries in Ireland and across Europe. His practice includes experimental performance art, ergodic digital media texts, and multimedia installations incorporating drawing, painting, sculpture, audio, and film.

The soil / the need

I was looking for unity and community — a way to unite different people, traditions, and art forms I was interested in. At the simplest level, I was a curious child searching for something tangible through which emotions could flow.

The first seed

A friend.

Tell us about that first spark

There were a few sparks in childhood, but the first vivid one was getting a role in a primary school play because a friend convinced me to audition. What stayed with me most was not the stage itself, but the atmosphere: rehearsals, costume fittings, backstage whispers, and preparation. Those moments stayed with me long before I understood the technical side of theatre.

Roots (people & experiences that shaped your path)

For a long time, I focused on more “solitary” art forms — painting and writing — and occasionally helped with set design and props in high school plays. But while finishing school and applying for college, I realized something was missing: I had been limiting my forms of expression. Rediscovering theatre changed that. It became the medium where text, body, voice, visual art, and film could coexist. Spontaneously applying for a theatre major — and being accepted — solidified my roots. Since then, students, mentors, and spectators have all shaped my path with unique perspectives.

The trunk (what keeps you in theatre)

There is always something new to learn, and the need for expression keeps growing. Theatre is an emotional, social, and political force. In a world becoming increasingly desensitized, theatre remains a way to bring people together through shared experience.

Branches (future / desire)

What I still hope for: community, freedom of expression, experimentation, and learning. I imagine theatre staying in my life permanently, and I hope for more collaborations and partnerships as I continue taking an active role in the world around me.

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? Why?

A sugi tree (Cryptomeria japonica). I love the softness and fragrance of these evergreens, and old sugi trees have a sublime presence. They also remind me of home away from home, because they resemble the pines and cedars of my hometown in Poland. Even the Latin name cryptomeria (“hidden parts”) feels poetic and deeply resonant.

Contact

Email: mrclmtys@gmail.com
Instagram: @ilovecowboyz
Website: marcelmatys.wordpress.com