To all appearances they are a happy family. Married, religious, hardworking. What happens behind a closed door is a secret, even to the closest relatives. “Kwaśne jabłko” (“Sour Apple”) written by Jerzy Szyłak, tells a story of domestic abuse, a story of a victim and persecutor. A story of violence spiralling out of control told by Szyłak brings no hope. The script plays on emotions. The illustrations, painted with acrylic on paper with canvas texture create an atmosphere of horror. It is a violence seen by a painter.
In truth, no one would like to read, listen to or watch this type of history, regardless of the form in which they would be presented. And yet they are told. And they are told, because they happen: and older and younger, educated and not, pious and ungodly. None of these people would like to hit the sour apple in the basket. However, it happens to some. That is why such stories must be told.
Jerzy Szyłak (born 1960) – Polish literary scholar, film expert and comic writer. A graduate and researcher at the University of Gdańsk (Department of Drama, Theater and Film at the Institute of Polish Philology). Author of many comic albums published by various publishing houses in Poland.
Joanna Karpowicz (born 1976) – painter and comic artist from Cracow, Poland. Studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow, Painting Department, atelier of Prof. Leszek Misiak. Finished my studies with a master’s degree (MA) in 2001. See more at: https://joannakarpowicz.pl/
To find out more about the political background of the situation in Poland and our region please reach to this article, “Domestic violence treaty rattles governments across Eastern Europe”,written by Clare Nuttall and Denitsa Koseva (published on May 31st, 2018, BNE Intellinews).
