Gunnersbury Park Museum Free.Her Exhibition Extended

Polish migrant women explain what freedom means to them

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February 9, 2026

An exhibition of photographic portraits exploring the meaning of freedom for Polish migrant women in west London has been extended at Gunnersbury Park Museum due to strong public demand. Free.Her, created by London-based Polish artist and ethnographer Anna Jochymek, will now remain on display until 20 February.

The exhibition brings together twenty large-format portraits produced in 2025 through in-depth conversations with Polish women living in, or connected to, the London Borough of Hounslow. During their sessions with Jochymek, the women shared personal stories of migration, resilience and empowerment. Their testimonies accompany the portraits, creating a vivid and intimate portrait of a community whose experiences often go unheard.

Originally shown outdoors in Brentford and Hounslow as part of the national Future Arts Centres project Our Freedom: Then and Now, the exhibition forms part of a £2 million creative programme marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The project is supported by the UK Government through Arts Council England.

Jan Lennox, Director of Watermans, said the response from audiences has been overwhelming. “We’re delighted that this important photographic exhibition by London-based Polish artist Anna Jochymek can be seen again so soon. The portraits and testimonies tell a compelling immigration story.”

Gunnersbury Park Museum, which is hosting the extended run, says the exhibition offers a rare and nuanced insight into contemporary migrant experiences. Corinne Wan, Head of Museum Services, said: “This powerful exhibition reveals sophisticated storytelling exploring a wide range of contemporary experiences by Polish women based in or connected to Hounslow. We are delighted to host this insightful exhibition and to be welcoming selected materials from the display into our permanent archive collection.”

Anna Jochymek

Following the exhibition, selected portraits and accompanying materials will be preserved in the Gunnersbury Park Museum Archive, ensuring the stories captured by Jochymek become part of the borough’s long-term historical record.

Free.Her is open at Gunnersbury Park Museum until Friday 20 February .

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