After Poland joined the European Union, the country underwent major changes: infrastructural, economic and social. As the village was of particular interest to me, in 2004 I decided to show how it transforms in the light of flowing funds and changing laws. → In 2008 changes in the Polish village were already visible. Modernization made farmers' work easier, but also induced more and more people to migrate to bigger towns. The daily work and routine, so far ruled mostly by nature, has become dominated by new laws. For example, breeding animals has become a regulated business. A farmer can no longer slaughter his swine, he has to obtain special permits in order to do so. → However, what struck me when observing life in the village was that in spite of the transformation people's mentality does not change. I found myself fascinated by the farmers' approach to work and respect for nature and the land they cultivate. → Initially my project was to capture the transformation of a Polish village in a wider perspective, but the idea matured in my mind and I ended up portraying individuals. The transformation proceeds and influences every day life in villages, but it is not present in the photographs. The individuals and their very specific approach to the soil they live on became the focus of my work. In the project called "Karczeby", I captured the people's unchanging mentality in the days of transformation. People are at the centre of my attention, as in the portraits.
