Seeing the Unseen... or the "Naturalness" of the Second Shift for Women

Photobox. That was my very first camera as a teenage girl. Later, working as a journalist, I began photographing for my own articles and creating independent photo series. Decades ago, I left the world of journalism to teach: first outside the formal school system to students and educators, and later within non-formal adult education in the women’s NGO sector, teaching entrepreneurial skills, self-awareness for women, and financial literacy. I also led craft workshops and creative coastal retreats.

In the third act of my life, fine art became a defining passion for me in 2013. I completed a two-year vocational painter training program, graduating with distinction in the spring of 2019. Through my artistic self-discovery, I quickly realized that I am drawn to mixed media, versatile—and sometimes rare or underused—graphic arts techniques, as well as material pairings and the endless possibilities of collage. Collage provides the freedom and layered depth that the themes I explore require. I found in it a medium through which I can juxtapose, deconstruct, or overwrite different fragments of reality, expectations, and identities. Through this lens, I examine women’s destinies, societal roles, and expectations—both within myself and among the women around me.

In my search for a personal style and technical approach, textile art emerged almost naturally. As in the lives of many women, traditional women's handiwork—crocheting, knitting, sewing, and embroidery—has been present in my life since my teenage years. From this palette, sewing began to stand out around 2019 and 2020. My childhood memories and the heritage of my female ancestors are all tied to a treadle-operated Matador sewing machine. That machine still works smoothly today, and I used it for this very submission; however, in line with contemporary visual trends, I also use a modern electric household sewing machine to create my artwork.

For me, sewing is more than a simple textile technique: it is a centuries-old symbol of female care, unity, togetherness, repair, and quiet creation. Through it, my artistic practice connects me with my female roots: my teenage self, the generations of women in my family, and every girl and woman of the past whose handiwork was once dismissed as merely a "female pastime" and undervalued. By incorporating sewing into contemporary visual art, I draw attention to their invisible, valuable labor.

Photography + collage + sewing: these three disciplines are all present in my application material. My artistic projects are always preceded by research, and my sources of inspiration are typically photo-based. I identify as a female artist: my focus consistently rests on female roles, the relationship with the body, female identity, and invisible labor—whether explored through family histories or the broader history of women.