My artistic practice has always been fuelled by a quest for representation and recognition. As a youngster I used to do this primarily by trying to unearth ancient dynamics in my own psychological inheritance. I sow my existence to that of my ancestors, by dismantling grey areas and inconsistenties within my family’s narratives. For, if no one "like me" preceded me, how can I ever find proof of my own existence?

My work consists of drawing and sculpture. These two media engage in a continuous discourse with each other and the viewer, concerning queer themes and dominant narratives about love and identity, violence and loss. Because their titles have addressee they function as letters, dedicated to lovers, family members, queer icons, as well as their aggressors. They depict highly detailed, fantastical sceneries, sometimes abstract, sometimes figurative, wherein bodies are fused into dense nature.

Occasionally, flesh-like sculptures accompany the drawings, that, in their titles, bear the initials of victims of hate crimes, or are tributes to icons. These entities exist in various forms. Floor-based skin-like sculptures are filled with earth which allows for weeds to occasionally appear through the cracks, while some skins are tightly strung over metal constructions to create awnings for shelter.

Though there is horror in my work, it remains hopeful. The installation allows to reflect on the stories we tell ourselves regarding representation, social constructions and history. Within my oeuvre I introduce an inclusive narrative that questions the ways of thinking within our canonical history.
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Picture by Yaqine Hamzaoui
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