Wojtek Kutyla

In their own way

You can't turn back the clock. But you can wind it up again.
— Bonnie Prudden

My grandparents live in a small, one bedroom apartment on the east border of Poland. Their life oscillates around the living room table, as they don't move as much as they used to. And all is covered in cigarette smoke. As grandpa says, they are keeping themselves alive by arguing, smoking and drinking apple juice. They lead a rather peaceful, sleepy life and they enjoy it a lot — in their own, sometimes unusual, way.

Photograph from the In their own way series
Six o'clock in the morning. Life starts at a tiny flat of my grandparents
Photograph from the In their own way series
Sandwiches for breakfast - with meat, as 'one needs to eat protein of all kinds'
Photograph from the In their own way series
A glass of apple juice a day keeps you healthy
Photograph from the In their own way series
Everyday pills. These are for 'thickening the blood'
Photograph from the In their own way series
Photograph from the In their own way series
Shopping. Sometimes grandpa cannot remember what he came for, but he knows all the salesladies by name
Photograph from the In their own way series
Family photos, kept in old chocolate box
Photograph from the In their own way series
Stories of the past
Photograph from the In their own way series
Grandpa told me how he witnessed Ukrainian soldires killing Polish children during the beginning of war. That's when they left their village and fled to Poland
Photograph from the In their own way series
Very old sandals, damaged but still favourite
Photograph from the In their own way series
Waiting for my grandmother to come downstairs
Photograph from the In their own way series
On our way to the forest
Photograph from the In their own way series
Happy mushroom picker
Photograph from the In their own way series
Photograph from the In their own way series
Granddad hasn't found any mushrooms
Photograph from the In their own way series
Small argument — they happen all the time and are rather innocent
Photograph from the In their own way series
Grandpa after swallowing a whole dumpling. He learned this during the war. He never chews anything
Photograph from the In their own way series
My 'future wedding gift' — cheap encyclopaedia tomes
Photograph from the In their own way series
A game of solitaire, same time every day
Photograph from the In their own way series
Grandfather pointing at his future grave. He is very happy with the design of the tombstone
Photograph from the In their own way series
Private stash of Russian cigarettes bought from the local dealer
Photograph from the In their own way series
My grandparents have up to 35 cigarettes a day
Photograph from the In their own way series
'How can you wear such thing, Wojtek?'
Photograph from the In their own way series
Photograph from the In their own way series
Time for bed. My grandparents are not very religious; the cross is there because of the tradition
Photograph from the In their own way series
Around 8 o'clock in the evening. Bedtime