“Maria – a healer and a visionary”. © Katarzyna Majak
Central European House of Photography Bratislava Slovaquie
'Women of Power' is a series 29 portraits of Polish witches, healers, enchanters, visionaries and spiritual leaders. According to what Ewelina Jarosz wrote about the project: "The title points to Katarzyna Majak's intention to develop and socially rehabilitate women identifying themselves with the widely understood spirituality of their ancestors, Mother Goddess, pagan beliefs, and old sources of wisdom, which may still empower and inspire contemporary secularized consciousness by its valuable content and alternative energy".
Poland is said to be more than 90% Catholic. Christianity was introduced centuries ago to have erased almost all the traces of paganism, witchcraft or shamanic traditions. Basically no line of heritage survived. Children at school learn Greek, Roman, or German mythology.
Only a few traditional healers (so called ‘whisperers’ who mix religion and primeval superstitions to heal and remove spells using prayers) survived on the Belarusian border and cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Others will try to revive a dead tradition – they may have had grandmothers who could ‘see’ or were herb healers. Some others say the knowledge survived in the subconscious but there is a need to learn from outer traditions… Thus many, left with no other choice, travel abroad - to North America, Peru, or New Zealand - to learn, come back and mix the knowledge with some local traditions - old Slavs ceremonials or demonology. Most believe pagan spirit and witchcraft somehow managed to survive in the subconscious.
“Bea – the one who listens to the woods”. © Katarzyna Majak
This fascinating journey from a woman to a woman (the youngest in her early 30s and the oldest in her late 80s) all over the country was my search for female wisdom and plurality of spiritual paths hidden within a monoreligious society. For many of my models it was a ‘coming out’.
While shooting women wore ceremonial outfits and hold their ‘objects of power’. The project has been selected a Critical Mass finalist, has been presented at artxwomen during AA Fair in Los Angeles in January 2012 (with Porter Contemporary NY Gallery), in Porter Contemporary Gallery in New York (May - July 2012), Slovene Ethnomuseum in Ljubljana (Slovenia) (June – July 2012), as a part of '31 Women in Art Photography' at Hasted Kraeutler Gallery in New York (July –August 2012).
ARTIST’S BIO:
Katarzyna Majak received her PhD in Photography at Poznan Academy of Fine Arts. In 2002 she was an artist-in-residence at ‘Florida - First Contact' project at Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida. Majak continued her studies in the US when she was awarded a scholarship by Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado in 2003. She is a Critical Mass (Portland, 2011) finalist, a recipient of Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage scholarship, her works were selected and published in ‘The Collector’s Guide to New Art Photography Vol. 2.’ (Humble Arts Foundation, NY). She is a member of editorial board and a regular contributor to ‘Fotografia' quarterly and had been a photography lecturer since 2003. In 2010 Majak was selected for ‘Photographers‘ Network:2010', in Siegen, Germany and in 2012 for ‘31 Women in Art Photography ‘(New York exhibition scheduled for July 2012). She has exhibited and curated throughout Europe and the U.S. She is represented by Porter/Contemporary New York and Ego Gallery in Poznan (Poland).
“Kasia Emilia – the one who is”. © Katarzyna Majak
More information on www.katarzynamajak.com and www.womenofpower.pl
Photos et vignettes © Katarzyna Majak