A Witness Sculpture

“For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.” (Elie Wiesel) The world is full of events that bring wonder to all of us. As human beings, sometimes we can do nothing except being witnesses to these occurrences. Considering fundamental social issues such as democracy, human rights, equality, capitalism, migration and the plurality of the society we live in, are central to my work. I hope that my new collection titled “Witnesses” touch us at the very core, reminding us of our shared humanity like justice, honesty, forgiveness, and decency. “Witnesses” are inspired by the twelve statues known collectively as the “Tell Asmar Hoard” that are famous for having wide eyes, and their sense of humble attentiveness are appealing. The clean simplicity of these figures offers a vast space in which to push our mind. We can see a deep innocence, and compassionate gaze in their eyes that never force us to venture too deeply but, rather, leaves it entirely up to us as to how far in us might like to travel. Also, by sculpting Witnesses, I place myself in other people’s eyes, challenging my own belief systems, feeling their pain, sorrow, hope, joy, loss, and vulnerability. “Witnesses” are small simplified figures, standing or sitting in specific poses, all emphasize on their faces. I tried to present variety of emotions, changing their facial expressions with minimum change in details. These figures are meant to move people to feel intense emotions. They don’t have a specific identity, they are symbols of different people who are conveying their feelings of what they are witnessing in this wondrous life. Their facial expression, astonished look, and their wide eyes shows their reactions. Here I invite viewers to try to experience the Witnesses' sentiment. I want to challenge people to find answers to the Witnesses’ Enigmas, why are they so astonished? What are they gazing at? Or what are they witnessing? My goal is to use my art against all the stereotypes that are fed to us on daily bases. I also continue to create socially engaging art pieces that invoke thoughts and encourage conversations about social issues that surround us. Creating original pieces that truly move people to feel intense emotions is a challenge that I try to explore with my sculptures.