The War Heirlooms
Dimensions
F-16: 130 x 197 cm
Soldier: 117 x 144 cm
Kalashnikov: 107 x 400 cm
Tank: 131 x 244 cm
Year: 2017
Our personal experiences only allow us to understand a fraction of what the larger world is. In a digital age we share a world of constantly changing images which give us the ability to develop a sophisticated understanding of visual language. My intention is to share my experiences of daily life in Adana, observing the traditions and rituals of coexistence. The traditional material captures memories and craftsmanship.
In this work I have brought two contrasting elements together: feminine materials and masculine images. This leads us to question the word ‘yorgan’.
A yorgan is a hand-quilted duvet which is often passed down through generations as an heirloom. In families, a yorgan is often imbued with memories and associations. Children remember grandmothers’ yorgan, and pass them down to their own grandchildren. In Adana, neighbours share everything, including yorgan when guests appear in the winter. A request to borrow a yorgan from a neighbour would not seem strange.
In my pieces, I have subverted the yorgan, which is usually associated with providing comfort, protection and security. The quilted images refer to ‘security’, but of a very different kind. Images of war on a quilted yorgan encourage us to consider the price families’ pay in times of conflict; objects that normally comfort and protect us are decorated with images of mechanical warfare that can kill on mass.
Who or what do we trust? Where do we hide from our fears? Can we retain our real identity by ‘hiding under the covers’? The beauty of a traditional flower design is transformed into heavy artillery. Can we ever challenge the social order and its structures of power, authority and control?
What is the relationship between the home and its daily objects? Is home a place to escape the state? Is the duvet an object of safety or oppression?