Traces - Chagla Mehmet

Chagla Mehmet’s exploration of nature intertwined with hidden histories, documents the intricate interplay between trauma, inherited memory, and the symbiotic relationship between humanity and the land. Her work uncovers obscured narratives, delving into the impact of erased histories embedded within plant life and natural landscapes to comprehend notions of place and identity.

At the heart of Mehmet's exploration lies a deep dive into Cyprus, uncovering the often unseen correlations between human experiences of trauma and the stories silently etched into the landscapes. The land itself serves as a silent witness to history, preserving echoes of an enigmatic past within the physical imprints on the country’s ecosystems. Working with black and white images, both from archives pre the imposition of the Green Line, and her own contemporary landscapes, she experiments in the darkroom using transparent paper on which she sketches. These sketches mimic the lines seen in nature and serve as a metaphorical stitch that seeks to sew together the North and South, intending to create a fictional land without borders..