160 × 200 cm, diptych

Mixed media on canvas

For this work, I asked people to write about their experiences, emotions, and personal stories from the pandemic — always in their own handwriting — and to hand them to me or send them by post. I made sure that every note was written directly by the person who lived the experience.

I wanted the physical trace of each individual — their handwriting, fingerprints, perhaps even fragments of their bodily presence — to become part of the work itself. They wrote on colored papers, on face masks, on unused travel tickets, on canceled wedding invitations — on materials that had become symbols of the pandemic era.

Having worked as a physician during the Covid-19 period, it was especially meaningful for me that notes from healthcare workers and from my own patients are included in the piece.

The space between the two equally sized canvases represents the “distance” that entered our lives with the pandemic. A cold separation infiltrated our friendships and even our sense of being, leaving us suspended between worlds. As we danced with death, we constantly felt the fragile line between life and loss.

Every physical contact became a source of fear, and every word carried unexpected weight. Yet this period also allowed us to rediscover the profound meanings of love, longing, and survival.

The work forms a mosaic of the pandemic experience — pain and joy, anger and hope intertwined. Its surface is surrounded by testimonies from those who lived through those days; each note reflects a lived moment, a personal truth.

At its center stands the heart — the essence of life and love. Beside it, a circular form represents the invisible threat of the virus. Encircling this presence is a white ring, symbolizing those who were taken from us — breathless, unable to say farewell.