Mateusz Kowalik

For a long time now, I’ve been tempted by the wilderness. I’ve been spending time observing it carefully, seduced by the idea of an immaculate nature, which makes people leave everything and flee in search of relief. At the same time, I listen to their dark stories, which bring me down to earth. No surprisingly, as I never believed in the myth of an idyllic life close to nature. The body and soul also need solid relief there, as each of us is sometimes tempted by the darkness, regardless of the latitude. The “only” difference is that instead of drinking a whiskey from a supermarket, you take a bath in a solution made of a Devil’s Rib* plant collected in a nearby forest.

The balance is also preserved and carefree moments are intertwined with the dark side of reality.

*Cabbage Thistle (Devil’s Rib) — a plant species of the Asteraceae family. It contains many biologically active substances. They have a strong detoxifying, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and strengthening effect. (The bath with the addition of brew made of Devil’s Rib regenerates, strengthens and adds energy.) Its leaves resemble ribs.

Mateusz Kowalik is a documentary photographer, debuted in 2016. He focuses on long-term projects and his works are often rooted in his own experience, exploring issues of contemporary society. He showed his works in four individual exhibitions in Poland and Slovakia. He graduated from the Sputnik Photos Mentoring Program. He is currently studying at the Institute of Creative Photography, Silesian University, Opava.