Dilara Miller is an artist based between Mersin, Turkey and Boulder, Colorado who is a BFA candidate at the University of Colorado Boulder. Dilara's work critiques and reflects on the social/cultural effects of being Turkish/American as well as being a woman in Turkish society. Her work uses her family's history, the regional traditions, surrounding history, and religion to narrate these themes through created symbols.

 

Senin Acin Benim Acimdir (Your Pain is my Pain) depicts a cleansing ritual named Abdest (Abolution), this ritual is done before every Namaz (daily prayer). Growing up devout I performed this ritual constantly and my mother still continues today often leaving the traces of puddles on the floor. Through this ritual, I wanted to reimagine my experiences of growing up in a predominantly Islamic surroundings and to express the innate kinship, community, and warmth I feel around women. Within this work, the use of logs depicts a natural fuel that can be scared from its collection and then later burned to ash, a cycle I wanted to depict of one's experience of trauma and a cleansing through sisterly support within a traditional setting. I believe as women we all experience tribulations within our lives that are symptomatic of our surroundings, though I trust we often hold an innate connection. A saying my mother often said to me when I was in pain, "I wish your pain was my pain", and I feel that way for the women who experience the hardships life has to offer historically and presently.