Self-portrait

Part of my works emerge from everyday objects, reflecting the ordinary and commonplace. I focus on creating replicas of these objects, offering a new perspective on familiar items and our capacity to understand our surroundings. For this particular work, I used the expired medicines collected over approximately a year. By replicating the pills and arranging them in a specific colour combination, I constructed a self-portrait displayed at a 90-degree angle, similar to a traversable curtain. The perception of this image shifts depending on the viewer’s position, inviting the public to engage more closely and become part of the artwork. By using ceramics as a primary material, I emphasize its role in maintaining history while incorporating aspects of our contemporary context and way of life. This approach highlights the continuity between past and present and the produced relationships.

The creation of the self-portrait has been a directed process from the beginning. The aesthetics are inspired by American pop culture and, more specifically, by Andy Warhol’s Polaroids, which were famously employed as the basis for his screen prints. The format, the use of flash, and the colour palette were all shaped by this influence. A defining element in the composition is the black towel. It increases the image contrast and situates the viewer in a specific context. Cinema has often depicted female characters stepping out of the shower with a white towel wrapped around their hair, a visual shorthand for freshness and femininity. The choice of black, however, introduces a layer of practicality and sophistication, alluding to the duality of glamour and functionality, as dark fabrics require less maintenance.

The piece features approximately 14,500 pill replicas arranged in flexible strips, arousing a sense of movement and interaction. This idea draws inspiration from my childhood memories, where everyday objects like bottle caps or corks were frequently used in homes to create curtains. These barriers, typically hung in doorways to protect against insects, separated indoor spaces from the outside world. The objective is to allow visitors to physically “pass through the work,” engaging with the art in a tangible, immersive way. This interaction reproduces my childhood experience of pushing through such a barrier of ordinary objects, transitioning from one space to another. This simple act became a magical moment engraved into my memory, a playful yet profound crossing between the familiar and the unknown.