Women of My Land
The Ones I Carry in My Bundle
Tradition Kept in the Chest
Spirits Within Us
What Rests on Our Plate
It's my first time exhibiting my work in a contemporary gallery! 💥
CICA Museum
CICA Museum
While reflecting on the theme "In Transit," the gallery's contemporary aesthetic inspired me to create a metaphorical series and transition toward
installation-based work.
installation-based work.
In my culture, the chest has been like a suitcase for centuries. All the
in-betweens, both the unlived moments and the lived experiences, are
kept hidden inside it and carried to the next destination, even to
the next generation.
in-betweens, both the unlived moments and the lived experiences, are
kept hidden inside it and carried to the next destination, even to
the next generation.
By playing with the word "chest" throughout the pieces, I wanted to connect it to the In Transit theme, to express the feeling of in-betweenness I carry within me, between my homeland and where I am today. I wanted to tell this story alongside the women of my culture.
At the same time, I used many traditional and metaphorical visuals so the audience can find a part of themselves in the work. Even though we come
from different cultures, we often share similar visual symbols that may hold different meanings across time and place.
from different cultures, we often share similar visual symbols that may hold different meanings across time and place.
About the Installation: Beyond the main collages, the installation centers around a blank piece of fabric, a symbolic space, like a silent witness. I first printed my collages onto fabric, then carefully sewed fragments of these
prints back onto that same surface, weaving together memory,
migration, and identity.
prints back onto that same surface, weaving together memory,
migration, and identity.
To deepen the narrative, I hand-embroidered traditional Turkish motifs, allowing tradition to flow through the stitches. Words that echo the meaning of "chest" and "being in transit" are handwritten across the surface, as if carrying whispers from one place to another.
Inspired by the age-old practice of hanging carpets on walls, a gesture shared across Turkish and many other cultures, I added tassels to the edges,
anchoring the work in both personal and collective memory.
anchoring the work in both personal and collective memory.
