Terms of Service

maciejcekalo.com is the personal portfolio of Maciej Cekalo, showcasing brand identity work, art direction, and oil paintings. Browsing the site, reading the posts, and reaching out through the contact form is free and unconditional. These terms govern two specific things: your use of the site itself, and any commissioned work that follows from an inquiry.

Everything displayed on the site — paintings, case studies, copy, and photography — is original work by Maciej Cekalo or has been produced under commission with appropriate rights. Please don't republish, reproduce, or train on it without asking first. A polite email usually gets a yes; quiet scraping usually gets a takedown notice.

Commissioned work — whether a painting, a brand system, or a one-off piece of art direction — is governed by a written agreement exchanged by email before work begins. That agreement covers scope, deliverables, timeline, deposit, balance, and usage rights. The points below apply to every engagement unless explicitly overridden in that written agreement.

Deposit. A non-refundable deposit (typically 30–50% of the fee) is due before materials are ordered or studio time is blocked out. The deposit covers the window held for you and any preliminary sketches or research; it is not returned if the engagement is cancelled after kickoff.

Timeline. Smaller studies take two to three weeks once a deposit clears. Larger paintings and full brand systems take several months and are scheduled around the studio calendar. Rough milestones are shared up front; exact dates depend on the approval cadence.

Approvals. Most commissions include two to three approval points (e.g. concept, mid-point, and final). Feedback at each point is folded in; revisions requested after a sign-off point are billed as additional scope unless the scope of change is minor.

Refunds. Once work has started, no refund is offered on fees already paid. If an engagement is cancelled part-way, any time and materials invested up to that point are retained against the deposit and any partial payments. Nothing left over is refunded — but nothing extra is owed either.

Unless the written agreement says otherwise, copyright in original artwork — including paintings, illustrations, and brand assets — remains with Maciej Cekalo. You receive a broad, perpetual license to use the deliverables for the purpose the commission was scoped around. Exclusive transfers and resale rights are possible and are negotiated in writing.

If the engagement produces a physical painting, you own the physical object on final payment. Ownership of the object does not transfer the copyright — reproductions, prints, and derivative works still require consent.

The site is offered as-is. Every effort goes into keeping information accurate and the site available, but no uptime, fitness for purpose, or outcome is guaranteed. For commissioned work, liability is capped at the fees paid for the specific engagement in question.

These terms are governed by the law of Poland. Any dispute that cannot be resolved by direct conversation is subject to the jurisdiction of the Polish courts. Before anyone reaches that point, please email hello@maciejcekalo.com — most things are easier to sort out directly.

These terms can be updated from time to time to reflect how the studio operates. The date at the top of the page marks the last revision. Material changes that affect an in-flight commission will be communicated directly.