Born in Poland, she lived near the headquarters of the Gestapo in Krakow before moving to Australia and making Newcastle her home, where she has lived for 20 years.

But Wojna-Kenc won’t forget her past and neither should anyone else.

Her exhibition Power, Passion and Pardon, now on show at the Watt Space Gallery, was inspired by the graffiti in Poland’s Wieliczka Salt Mine – a world heritage-listed site.

In 2004 Wojna Kenc spent four and a half months in the mine and when she went to install her exhibition a graffitied wall was going to be painted over.

But she would not let it happen.

“People graffiti to mark their existence – to simply say I am, I was here.”

In the exhibition she has three works – Before the Gate…2007 – empty suitcases, which represent the journey’s end, metal tags symbolise the loss of identity and the suffering; prayers…2007, made from felted silk show a name and date and the words ‘I was here’; and Landscape…2007 shows a peaceful figure representing the time and events that should not be forgotton.

Wojna-Kenc’s work will be on display until February 17.

The exhibition Power, Passion and Pardon will be on show at the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Poland along with works by locals Anne Graham, Panm Sinnot, Patricia Wilson-Adams, Giselle, Penn, Michael Garth, Graham Lang, Miranda Lawry, Breet Alexander, Kris Smith, Allan Chawner and Trevor Weekes, from July 24 until December.

It will then be installed as part of a permanent exhibition at the Auschwitz Concentration Camp museum in Poland.