Simona Kossak: Born to Be Wild

Simona Kossak: Born to Be Wild
Photographs by Lech Wilczek

When Simona moved to the Białowieża Forest, she was escaping both Krakow and a family that had never accepted her. Her only true interest was in animals. In that solitude, she began to breathe again, but her peace was interrupted by the arrival of Lech, a photographer from Warsaw. He too was fleeing the city. They ended up living under the same roof by chance; first came arguments, then a love that lasted 36 years, during which the two devoted themselves to the forest around them. The house filled with extraordinary presences: a crow that stole hats and wallets; a fox that slept at the foot of the bed; two moose that chose Simona as their mother; a wild boar that followed her everywhere; an orphaned lynx, welcomed as a daughter. This exhibition is a tribute to a wild, sweet, and indomitable way of life.

Bio 

Simona Kossak (1943 – 2007, Poland) was a Polish biologist, ecologist, and professor specializing in forestry, renowned for her commitment to protecting Poland’s remaining natural ecosystems.

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