Have you ever felt that others see you differently than you see yourself?
I’ve often noticed how differently people see me from how I see myself.
People are often surprised to hear that I became an artist. I started out in chemical engineering, studying silicate-based materials, structures, and processes. After that, I worked in web design and technology. From the outside, these experiences might look disconnected, as if I made a series of unrelated choices. It’s easy to simplify my path into separate labels: engineer, designer, artist.
But I never saw myself that way. For me, all these things have always been connected. I’ve always been interested in structure, systems, materials, and how people interact with things. Becoming an artist didn’t feel like leaving one identity behind for another. It just felt like the next step in the same direction.
This tension between how we see ourselves and how others see us became one of the starting points for this artwork.
The Sequence: How Meaning Unfolds
There are three phrases, one for each piece: “Don’t simplify me.” “I’m not linear.” “You do not define me.” The next question was simple but important: in what order should the phrases appear?
At first, I arranged them as a kind of dialogue:
“I’m not linear.” “Don’t simplify me.” “You do not define me.”
“I’m not linear.” “Don’t simplify me.” “You do not define me.”
It sounded almost like a voice trying to explain itself, moving from an inner statement to outward resistance. But this order lacked tension. From the first piece to the last, there was no sense of drama. The reading felt too predictable.
I thought again about the order, focusing on how the viewer would experience the work. I wanted the reading to grab attention. Each step should ask more from the viewer, making them work harder to interpret, feel, and connect. The mental effort should build, reflecting the idea that identity is never simple.
Now, the sequence begins with:
Piece I — “I’m not linear.”
The phrase is easy to read right away. The viewer’s eye moves over it smoothly, and the brain doesn’t notice the typographic complexity yet. Understanding comes quickly and almost effortlessly, inviting the viewer into the work.
Piece I — “I’m not linear.”
The phrase is easy to read right away. The viewer’s eye moves over it smoothly, and the brain doesn’t notice the typographic complexity yet. Understanding comes quickly and almost effortlessly, inviting the viewer into the work.
Piece II — “You do not define me.”
Here, the reading direction changes. The viewer has to engage more, tracing the structure and finding the system behind the letters. The eye can’t just skim anymore. Now, attention is required.
Piece III — “Don’t simplify me.”
By the last piece, the work asks for reflection. The viewer has to pause and maybe even change their perspective to read it fully. Reading becomes part of the experience, echoing the phrase’s meaning: identity can’t be simplified, and understanding takes effort.
Here, the reading direction changes. The viewer has to engage more, tracing the structure and finding the system behind the letters. The eye can’t just skim anymore. Now, attention is required.
Piece III — “Don’t simplify me.”
By the last piece, the work asks for reflection. The viewer has to pause and maybe even change their perspective to read it fully. Reading becomes part of the experience, echoing the phrase’s meaning: identity can’t be simplified, and understanding takes effort.
In this way, the triptych mirrors the complexity of identity. Each piece adds another layer, resisting easy understanding and inviting the viewer to look deeper. Meaning is revealed gradually, rewarding patience and curiosity.
But the story didn’t end there
At first, I thought about keeping the background minimal, ensuring the phrases remained central. Yet, even with a strong sequence, the work still felt incomplete—something vital was missing.
Eventually, I realized the background wasn’t just an empty space. It represents society itself—a force that is never silent. While the words embody identity, the background acts as the social structure that both supports and constrains. Our identities always exist within a larger system that shapes and redefines them.
This insight changed my process. Instead of striving to simply make the work “look right,” I began to focus on making the underlying tension visible. That’s why the piece underwent so many revisions: identity is rarely straightforward. It’s forged through experimentation, missteps, and the ongoing negotiation between our true selves and others' perceptions.
Continue reading
[Part I — The Idea] · [Part II — The Making] · [Part III — The Meaning] · [Read the complete story]
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