The House is Black

A face is not merely an assemblage of lines and shadows. Particularly in the unfiltered expressions of intellectually disabled individuals, the social masks constructed by society dissipate, leaving behind nothing but the raw "nakedness of existence."

This series serves as a documentation of a reality that persists within the 86 million citizens of Turkey a reality asserting "we are here," yet one that the collective consciousness of this society consistently chooses to overlook. These photographs are neither an exercise in pathos nor a stereotypical narrative of a social responsibility project; rather, they constitute a profound encounter with the human condition within this specific geography.

We stand upon a fragile, uncanny threshold: the precarious space between the privacy protected within the domestic sphere and the abrasive gaze of the public. The question is simple, yet its answer resides within the expression of each individual: Where do we, as a nation of 86 million, position ourselves on this threshold? Are we prepared to confront the mirror of our own conscience and gaze directly into this "invisible" reality?

These frames construct their own narratives through the power of the gaze, rendering any explanatory text superfluous. What remains is a silent reckoning, where the spectator is left to confront their own reflection.