by Megan Daly
In this series selected for Issue #3, Motherland, from her projects Behind (2017) and Longing for Belonging (2015), Natalia Poniatowska uses the camera as a tool to confront the emotional truths of homesickness and a sense of belonging.
Through photographing her homeland of Poland over the six years since she moved away, this work reveals the sentimental energy of the photograph. She captures the small moments one dreams of holding onto: the view of mist settling over the neighbourhood, the breeze playing the curtains at the top of the stairs, the pattern of the fabric draped over the sofa. But in this capturing, Poniatowska reminds us how the image can never truly embody the emotion of these moments, demonstrating that, at its root, homesickness is a yearning for a feeling left behind.
To see more of Natalia's work or to contact her, visit:
www.npaphotography.com
https://www.instagram.com/natalia.npa/
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