Braces " A Bridge To My Mother" 2020-2021

In this work, I document a physical therapeutic journey that became a way for me to explore the self and identity. I focus on the mouth, both inside and out, as a sensory and psychological space that holds our earliest connection to the world, drawing on Freud’s concept of the oral stage, where the first bond with the mother begins through breastfeeding. I approach pain not only as a physical experience but also as a state that reveals transformations of identity and redefines beauty. Between swelling and healing, discomfort and change, the idealized notion of beauty dissolves, giving way to a more human understanding rooted in both vulnerability and strength. Using a variety of materials and techniques, I transform the painting from a two-dimensional surface into a spatial installation that invites the viewer to move through the work and experience the stages of pain and recovery. For me, the creative process itself becomes part of healing, where making the work becomes an act of reflection, confrontation, and recovery, allowing the viewer to share this physical and psychological journey through a deeply sensory experience.