This book was written out of love and longing. It was intentionally printed in a small edition. It is a very intimate story about the loss of her mother and her attempts to come to terms with her passing. The profits from the book are dedicated for charitable purposes.
Opis książki:
Book Description:
I remember the joy caused by the discovery of Haribo jelly, Nutella or margarine among colorful clothes in large fifteen-kilogram cartons. We used to get parcels from relatives from “Efu” (West Germany), when many basic things were in short supply in Poland. It was a holiday, we always opened them with the whole family. These clothes were enough for my mother, she never felt the need to buy new ones. She preferred to save for more important expenses. She always looked modest, she did not like the color black. They say that the outfit is an element that creates identity, and Mom walked around all her life in clothes not chosen by herself. Since her death I have been living in the past and in the past. I have based all my work so far on memories and longing. “Self-Portrait with Mother” is an attempt to sum up this difficult period for me, to finally come to terms with reality and go beyond what ”was.” My grandmother’s house stands empty and cold today, mining damage slowly turning it into a ruin. This is where my mother, sister and I grew up. It was here that I took out my closet after my mother’s death. It is here, after my grandmother’s death, that I make self-portraits, recreating from memory the outfits exactly as my mother selected them. I try on more sets that we used to pull out of packages, with shouts of joy. On the green coat I find her light hair….
About the author:
Karolina Jonderko (1985) Rydułtowy. Daughter of a miner and a music teacher. Member of the Napo Images Agency. Graduate of photography at the Department of Cinematography at the Film School in Lodz. The first Silesian to win the World Press Photo 2021 award. Winner of many prestigious awards including the Magnum & Ideas Tap Award, which earned her an internship at the Magnum Photos agency in New York. She focuses her photographic efforts on long-term projects. Most of them touch on the phenomenon of loss and its attendant aftermath – these issues can be found in the series “Self-Portrait with Mother,” “Lost,” “Reborn” and “Little Poland.” Starting from her own experience, the author broadens her perspective to include other people struggling with the problem of loss – loved ones, place, identity. In her work, she places extraordinary importance on building a personal connection with her characters.
