Irena Hauck (Jurkiewicz)

Documentary Photographer | Photojournalist

Irena Hauck (Jurkiewicz) is a documentary photographer whose work captures the social, political and human stories of Poland during a period of profound change.

After graduating in Photography and Film Studies, she was invited to join the Polish Young Photojournalists Association in Warsaw. Her career began in the rural landscapes of northeastern Poland, documenting the everyday lives, traditions and quiet realities of ordinary people.

She later became a full-time photojournalist for a national weekly magazine under the direction of Bogusław Biegański and Andrzej Baturo, respected figures in Polish photojournalism. During the years leading up to the Solidarity movement of the early 1980s, her work increasingly reflected the political and social tensions of the time. Documenting these events was not without consequences, and much of her important documentary photography was subject to censorship.

Her photographic record extends beyond Poland. Upon arriving in Canada in 1981, her photographs were published in Toronto newspapers, The Globe and Mail and polish weekly magazines, mainly Tygodnik Solidarność, Związkowiec, Pielgrzym. She continued to document demonstrations and public expressions of support for the Solidarity movement, particularly in Toronto. Together, these images offer a broader perspective on a pivotal chapter in Polish history and its impact on communities abroad.

In 2011, she began Backward Glances, an ongoing photographic project revisiting ordinary and often deeply personal images taken decades earlier. By bringing photographs from the past into conversation with images of the same people, places and surroundings today, the project explores the passage of time, changing landscapes and the gradual fading of personal and collective memories.

Her work has been exhibited in Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands and Canada. Notable presentations include She – Documentalists, a major exhibition celebrating Polish female photojournalists at Zachęta – National Gallery of Art in Warsaw in 2008, as well as exhibitions at Mississauga Central Library and the Institute of National Remembrance in Warsaw in 2015.

Today, her photographic archive represents more than a personal record. It offers a visual resource for exploring Poland's recent history, the Solidarity movement, the experiences of Polish communities abroad and the lives of ordinary people caught within extraordinary times.

Irena welcomes opportunities to share this work through exhibitions, historical and educational initiatives, cultural institutions and publishing projects, helping ensure that these images remain accessible to future generations.

Interview with Irena Hauck - Polish Studio - Toronto, Canada

Interview with Irena Hauck - "Z ukosa" OMNI TV - Toronto, Canada