Magic Moments Karolina Skorek
Tales hold great power over us. They inspire us. They excite us. They riddle us with doubt, and fill us with belief. They keep us awake at night, and bring us comfort as we sleep. The tales we tell are the thread that weaves the narrative through our existence. They encompass our whole being, with no respect for the boundaries of fact and fiction, reality and fantasy. We perpetually, involuntarily, pen stories to give order to our past, context and meaning to our present, and to grant us courage and purpose as we stride into our future. They are there for us when we are in search of answers to the questions of who we are, why we’re here, and where we’re going. These tales lay deep and entangled roots, knitting together our connections to our friends and family, our homes and surroundings, our faith and our culture. Just as the entangled roots of the Mangrove trees give rise to the new grounds which surround them, these tales give birth to new lands too, to new layers of existence which surround us, and from which we cannot escape. They form us. The master storyteller takes us on a journey, but never carries us. They are beacons, guiding us on our way, but ultimately entrusting us to carve our own path, to animate our own vision, and to find our own meaning within. Karolina Skorek is a master storyteller. Her works are laced with symbolism and familiarity. They are a celebration of the human form, an exploration of light and shadow, and evoke sentiments of ancient myths, and lost civilisations. Their familiarity invites us in, and their symbolism entwines with our own narratives, memories, desires and beliefs, to grant us access to fertile and unchartered ground within our own consciousness.
Karolina’s work is always striking for its detail, each fleeting moment captured with forensic precision. The depth of every stare, the fall of every shadow, the tension of every sinew, is considered, deliberate, and purposeful. The most delicately placed of beacons, grant access to the most engaging of journeys, and a myriad of stories, each deeply personal to the viewer. I am a fervent believer that, as creatures of this world, we can only be truly understood as an inextricable nexus of the bodies we possess, the environments we inhabit, and the stories we create to embellish them, with each element entirely co-dependent upon its siblings. It is this narrative which Karolina’s storytelling evokes and reinforces in me. The collection brought together in Tales is a testament to the dedication of a great photographer, artist and storyteller, to hundreds of hours of work, to an unflinching vision, and to a life time of formative tale telling. It is a fantastic achievement.
Mike Corcoran
From the author
You are holding a book of Magic Moments. Moments and tales I have collected, and created throughout my life. I always loved creating stories. All of the images were always in my head, and they`ve been itching to get out and be told (or shown in my case) to others. They are a mixture of history, and mythology, hugely influenced by my cultural background, and my belief system. I was born in Poland, and since early days I was affected by traditional legends and stories. Soon I discovered that they are part of fantastic Slavic Culture I had the luck to be born in. In them everything was connected to the force of nature. Everything had purpose and meaning. All of those stories had strong female characters in them; wise women who knew how to heal with herbs and energy, goddesses, fairies, spirits and many more. Everything was in perfect balance. Those tales run in my blood. They are visible in every artwork I create. I invite you to step into the world of nature, magic and energy. Where everything is the opposite of what it appears to be, and nothing is the opposite of what it appears to be‌ Karolina Skorek
Let`s begin...
Sketches and designs I design and sketch all the concepts and the smallest ideas for the photo shoots, and pictures. Here is a collection of some that I have drawn for the photos in this book.
Heathers and Forest
Golden Goddess
Yleli
Raven
Velera and Lady Midday
Tum Jehsa-Yesse
Morana
Symbols
About Karolina Skorek.
Photographer and Designer. Born in Poland, but living and creating mainly in Wales.
She graduated with a Masters Degree in glass design from the Academy of Fine Arts in Wroclaw. After moving to Wales she graduated from Glyndwr University with a Masters Degree in Illustration. Karolina is now working as a freelance photographer and illustrator. In her art she mainly focus on femininity itself. She is inspired by everyday events, magic and myths. Main exhibitions:
04.2016 “Tales, Travel and Tolerance” Oriel Sycharth Gallery, Wrexham, UK 12.2015 “Tales” fine art photography, 1260 Gallery, Chester, UK 11.2015 “Fragilita”, glass and fine art photography joined, ASP, Wrocław, Poland 10.2014 “Sensual”, fine art photography, Muzeum Sleżańskie, Sobótka, Poland 09.2014 UndegUn”, Helfa Gelf, Wrexham, UK 08.2014 “HET KLEDEN VAN DE NAAKTEN”, Groningen, Netherlands 02.2013 “Profesional Photographer of the Year” runner up in the black and white 12.2012 “Eastern Wall”, Chester , UK 10.2011 “Slavic tales“ M.A Final Exhibition, Wrexham, UK 06.2010 “Stained Glass: Sienkiewicz and Students”, Brzeg, Poland 05.2010 Glass Design Exhibition, “Enter” Gallery, Bratislava, Slovakia 04.2009 “Perfect Woman” painting exhibition, Sosnowiec, Poland.
Models:
Anna Maria Magdalena Artemiza Sokołowska Lauren Jones Kasia Jochymek Ewa Brzozowski Khethiwe Nomazulu Lian Duxbury Raven Skobe Stuart Reardon Victoria Glazer Sukki Singapora Patrycja Frankiewicz Gili Gioia Biegun Martina Ventura el_xana, Paula Poznysz Marta Majchrowska
Special Thanks: I would like to thank everyone who made this project come to life! There is so many of you that helped me. First one must go to my parents Beata and Artur who made me fall in love with books and stories. Huge Thank You will go to Anna Sokołowska who showed me that everything is possible. Our meeting created unbelievable magic! Two big ones will go to my friends Katarzyna Gemborys and Marcin Pietranik for endless hours of support and listening to my doubts and fears. All my models and everyone else - THANK YOU!