Erazm Ciolek, the solidarity photographer

Erazm Ciolek was often the only professional Polish photographer present at meetings of key opposition activists during the 1980s. 

After the fall of communism in 1989, Ciołek worked for Gazeta Wyborcza daily.

As well as being a Solidarity photographer, Ciołek took travel photos in Nepal, Nicaragua and Cuba. He was also the first photographer in Poland to cover the subculture of drug addicts.

He was also one of the creators of the underground Niezalezna Oficyna Wydawnicza  photo service. 

“I wanted to show what couldn't be found in official publications”,  “I had to capture this reality on the negatives,” Ciolek said.