Efflorescence

Anna Świrszczyńska had a deep connection with nature. Since she was a child, she has spent her holidays in the countryside. She frequently took trips to the regions surrounding Kraków. She often returned from these trips with bouquets of flowers, which she would then dry. She wrapped them in newspaper, secured them with a paperclip, and added a note describing the place and date. Świrszczyńska sought a different model of life than what was commonly accepted during the Polish People's Republic.

photo: Alina Żemojdzin

In her poetry, she seeks affirmation of femininity, being a woman on her own terms. She also addresses the taboo surrounding femininity and aging, challenging the stereotype that women's sexuality is equal to their reproductive age. By embracing corporeality in all its dimensions, as demonstrated in the poem "Dithyramb of a Happy Woman," she seeks a sense of fullness and even satiety. She desires to experience the entirety of life, from beginning to end.

The term efflorescence signifies the most splendid manifestation of something — whether it pertains to literary or artistic creation, or a plant organism growing from decayed materials like moss, wood, and tree bark.

photo: Kacper Buńkowski