Student invites public into her Polish granny’s home

Justyna Butkiewicz emigrated from Poland to Scotland with her parents and sister when she was only seven years old, leaving behind her family and the place she called home.

Now, the 24 year-old is preserving that part of her history by recreating one of the environments she grew up in as a child – her grandmother’s home.

Justyna has meticulously used family photographs and videos, along with extensive research into trends of the era, to create a 3D visualisation of her grandmother's flat in her hometown Trzebiatów, in the north-west of Poland.

Her work features in the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design (DJCAD) Masters Show 2024.

Justyna said her project, Pamięć Jest Ulotna’, translated to Memory is Fleeting, brings up fond childhood memories of spending time in the space prior to leaving for Scotland. 

“It’s such a nostalgic space for me, and even when we visit now, I go back to how I felt as a child,” said Justyna. 

“We didn’t live there, but we were at my gran’s pretty much every day because it was so close - Trzebiatów is such a small town.

“I remember playing, mostly, and eating our meals there, and gathering at my grans before we went to church. It was a safe space. I really wanted to evoke that feeling of warmth and safety in the 3D visualisation.”

Although Justyna’s childhood years spent at her grandmother’s was in the early 2000’s, the space was relatively unchanged since the 1990’s.

The 3D visualisation shows a cosy family room, with a Persian rug, large wooden cabinets filled with glassware, a patterned settee, a separate seating area with a table, a lamp with a large yellow fabric shade with tassels, and other objects such as a television from the era.

Justyna said that the project, which is part of her Animation & VFX course, has helped her reconnect with the early parts of her life. 

“When I left Poland, it was strange to suddenly be in a new culture and start losing my Polish connection. This project has brought back a lot of memories for me, and I have learned a lot.

“Before I started this, I had no idea that family videos existed from that time. I asked my gran if she had anything that might help the project, and she gave me two and a half hours' worth of footage.

“It’s really interesting because people in post-communist Poland didn't really have access to new tech that was in the West – it was very rare to own a camera in Poland in the 90’s.

“My gran’s sister was one of few with a camera and she recorded everything, because it was so new and exciting. 

“I thought it was a sign for me to keep going. Those videos, some 20 years old, some almost 30, had the chance to become something bigger.”

Justyna’s gran, Alina Michalska, 73, has lived in her flat for almost all of her adult life. She said that working on the project with her granddaughter has helped her recall treasured memories.

“In this home of ours, I remember beautiful moments,” she said. “It’s good we have photographs that remind us, because memory is fleeting. You forget a lot, but when something is recorded on film, on photographs, you remember a lot.”

Justyna’s 3D visualisation will be displayed at the DJCAD Masters Show 2024, which opens to the public from Saturday 24 August – Sunday 1 September. 

The nine-day showcase will present innovative and thought-provoking work created by 114 students graduating from DJCAD’s postgraduate courses.