Śmiguśniaki are the captives of the Tatars, whose tongues were cut off- they can’t speak so they rattle instead. To get protection from the cold, they clothed themselves with hay, acquiring plant-like properties. Their face mask proves their otherworldly origins- ‘Dziady’ are ghosts of the ancestors, connecting the world of the living and the deceased. Dziady are playing around, pouring buckets of water onto the passers-by on Easter Monday.

Coloured glass plate was shot in large format camera using historic wet collodion technique and developed by hand in the darkroom.

Part of ‘Slavic Bestiary’ series, physically exists as monochromatic plate still, 2018-2022 Project decodes polish folklore, exploring the author's slavic heritage. Exhibited worldwide including: Shortlisted for BBA Photography Prize 2021, Germany; Finalist of Different Worlds 2018 Photon Gallery Prize, Slovenia; VISAGE(S) D'EUROPE 2020, France

Get in touch if you would like to preview the work in person first at my London studio.

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