The Pieces of a Lump

The Pieces of a Lump were created in the months following my graduation, coinciding with my separation and the confronting of my new identity as an immigrant. Amidst the whirlwind of change, I found myself grappling with intense anxiety and psychosomatic illness. This manifested in eating disorders, severe headaches, and chronic sore throats, drawing my attention to my body in a new light.

Simultaneously undergoing therapy, I delved into the depths of my traumas and suppressed emotions stemming from my lived experience before immigration. It was during this introspective journey that I began creating The Pieces of a Lump. I started collecting, drying, and cleaning tea bag papers and coffee filters after daily use in a meditative process. Working with these papers, related to drinking, became a means to express my feelings, anxieties, physical pain, and traumas, drawn from my childhood memories and also reflections on my gender identity. In this regard, my throat, which was often a focal point of discomfort, turned to a symbol of vulnerability and the unspoken turmoil within me.

The connection between everyday objects associated with swallowing and their symbolic representation of emotional or physical states of the body has opened up a path for further research for me, potentially delving into the experiences of collective bodies.

Leyli Rashidirauf (1986.Iran) is a visual artist based in the Netherlands. She got her diploma and bachelor in painting in Tehran (2011) and master in International Master Artist Educator from ArtEZ University in Arnhem (2023). Leyli had six solo exhibitions in Tehran and also has participated in many group exhibitions . She had two months of art residency experience in Cite International des Art in Paris (2019)