Poland, 2016-2018,
The symbol that evokes feelings of patriotism and national pride in the Polish people is the eagle. Being on the Polish emblem, it is national symbol. But feelings of warmth and homeliness are associated with yet another bird, the stork, which reminds us of spring and the coming of new life.
The slavic people believed that storks bare the news of bad crops or abundance, dry or rainy summers. A pair of storks seen flying together could be a forecast of an upcoming wedding or birth. Storks appear in Polish culture, commerce, poetry and painting. They were also common in folklore and early slavic beliefs. Nature lovers fight for its preservation while companies put it in their logos, which they hope will make them look trustworthy and stress the Polish origin of the brand This “bird and not bird” is then a surprisingly universal symbol.
Arkadiusz Kubisiak born in 1968. He is independent documentary and portrait photographer. He studied photography at European Academy of Photography in Warsaw. He participated in numerous workshops, e.g. Transmission pour l’Image in Perpignan, France.
His work won several awards, e.g. Grand Press Photo, National Geographic Poland Photography Competition, SIPA Competition, Tokyo International Foto Award, BZ WBK Press Foto, Honorable Mention at International Photography Award and was shown, among others at The Art of Photography Show in The USA, NEY Gallery in Warsaw, Masovian Center of Contemporary Art, Poland, Warsaw Festival for the Photographic Arts, Poland.
Arkadiusz works mostly on long term projects.
