Jestem Stąd (Eng. I'm from here) is an illustrated publication accompanied by a set of digital prints, stickers and props consisting of vintage Polish furniture, figurines and plants.
The publication itself is inspired by old Polish magazines such as "Przekrój" or "Ty i ja" known for their colorful and out-of-the-box design, containing articles about day-to-day life, fashion, psychology and culture.
In the case of my book, I decided to reference funky layouts and vivid illustrations, tackling more serious topics at the same time. Jestem Stąd is a story of young Poles trying to path their way in life during crucial historic events such as the covid-19 pandemic, the next tragic results of climate change, the bloody fight for freedom from Lukashenko's regime of our Belarusian friends, mass protests considering the total ban of legal abortions in Poland, everlasting battle with homophobic bigot government – all of that facing constant propaganda in national media at the same time.
All of the above issues made me despise my country, but at the same time, I decided to showcase the ways I manage to enjoy my life on a daily basis. In Jestem Stąd I also talk about my personal situation – my mental state, my group of friends, the apartment I live in, my printmaking studio, making an effort to embrace Polish chaos and illustrate a bit of my culture I'm fond of and emotional about.
Jestem Stąd is a therapeutic, bittersweet summary of the last couple of years I spent figuring out my life in the country and possible future abroad.
This work is a part of my 2021 MFA diploma project.
"Niech żyje Białoruś"; "Long live Belarus"
a spread dedicated to my friend who was stuck in Belarus during the bloody anti-Lukashenko protests in 2020
"Klementyna learns what geopolitics essentially is
why no one is helping them? Why no one is helping us"
Exemplary spreads:
table of contents and an editor's note
tenants of my student flat
members of a printmaking collective I was a part of
"Maybe I have died a long time ago and Poland is the hell I ended up in?"
Strajk Kobiet (Women's Strike) – one of many protests held nationwide after a total abortion ban in Poland, 2020
introduction to Misprint – a printmaking studio and collective I was a part of
attack of propagada headlines from the national news
propaganda billboards that covered streets for months after the total abortion ban in 2020
an archive – personal pictures of all the places, events and characters mentioned in the book
