GEMBARA, Karolina - When we lie down, grasses grow from us

"In 2009 Karolina GEMBARA moved to Delhi to learn photography and stayed for seven years. When we lie down, grasses grow from us, comprises photographs taken during this period, as Gembara developed a love/hate relationship with the city, borne out of a combination of fascination, homesickness and a feeling of transience." (publisher's note, © Gost books, 2019)

“In 2009 I went to India to learn photography and stayed there for a long time. It was a fascinating journey and I gained a lot of experience but at the same time I felt homesick. At times it was very challenging. My relationship with Delhi was simply one of love and hate. 
I never felt comfortable taking pictures on the street. So I needed to find a visual language - a language that would reflect my abilities but prevent me from simply being an onlooker. I turned to my friends, people I could identify myself with, with whom I could talk. With them I looked for quiet, isolated moments. These moments we shared were precious as the city doesn't offer much peace. 
I moved around a lot, and found it hard to establish a home, a place I would feel comfortable in. Many people I met shared the same feelings. Our houses were temporary and even our romantic relationships were somehow superficial. The word that could describe that state of mind and life was “makeshift”.
The pictures I took during those years speak about that craving for comfort in the big city, and the loneliness that accompanied us every day. They also reveal my own need for a home and an attempt to create one. 

MAKING A PHOTOBOOK
After all these years in India, I am back in Poland and putting the story together. I call it 'When we lie down, grasses grow from us' – which is a verse from an Indian poem. 
I have a great opportunity to work with my favorite artists on this book - Rafal MILACH, Jörg Colberg who edited the story, and Ania Nałęcka-Milach who designed the book. Finally, GOST Books from London offered to publish my book this year. 
We chose 45 images. Most of the work - scanning and retouching - is already done. The design is subtle and beautiful, like all Ania’s works. 
The book is going to be printed in Italy this July. We need at least 13.000 dollars to produce 500 copies and be able to take the book to all photobook related places, fairs, exhibitions etc. 

SEE DIFFERENT INDIA
(...) I hope you can identify yourself with the feelings I am portraying in this book because I believe they accompany us in our everyday life, in every city, wherever we migrate, whenever we try to build comfort around us. 
Please consider purchasing the PERKS I prepared. One tenth of the profit from books will help to build a shelter - a home for animals run by an Indian NGO GPRS where I volunteered."(© Karolina GEMBARA)

Book review:
"Photographed over the course of seven years during her stay in India, Karolina GEMBARA's 'When we lie down…' is a tender meditation on the absence of a home and the desire to find one, possibly in the company of a loved one. Through the combination of quietly beautiful photographs, the book thus hints at one of the largest themes of our lives. With each repeated exposure, new layers are being unveiled as the viewer is invited to partake in the book's quest" (© Jorg COLBERG).

About the photographer, Karolina GEMBARA:
Karolina GEMBARA is living and working in Warsaw, based in Delhi in 2009-2016. Member of SPUTNIK Photos since 2018. 
Her interests revolve around issues of home, belonging, migration, changing lands and identities. Recently she's also focused on political situation in her home country. She runs photography workshops for migrants and refugees in Warsaw.