Strawberry Blue

"Strawberry Blue" found its roots in the aftermath of my migration to a country of the European North. This series explores and questions the inherent need for identity redefinition, belonging, and self-construction.

It's been seven years since I came here. I left behind my country, family, friends, and memories, dreaming of a better life without knowing what this might mean. Suddenly, I don't feel like I belong anywhere anymore.

Things got off to a bad start; a few broken bones and a baby never born. Luckily, I am not alone. She is always here, standing close, dragging me to her deep eagerness for life.

I am here now. I spend most of my evenings in this park close to my new home, strolling around. The birds are my friends, the statues are my interlocutors, the trees surround my odyssey, and these people mirror my struggle. It’s hard for me to remember their names. I make up nicknames based on their stories, scars, tattoos, or similarities to others. Elvis, Whitey White, Rat-Attacked, and Suntana make this place human and vulnerable, thus more true.

Pursuing continuity by creating footpaths and passages, I find myself on a journey that heals my memory and grows my new roots. "Strawberry blue" explores and questions the inherent need for identity redefinition, belonging, and self-construction.

In this place, my bones are not aching anymore.