The Heavy Presence of Absence

1.8 x 1.8 x 0.1 & 5.5 x 2.7 x 0.1 cm

sterling silver, freshwater pearls

What is it like to belong to a nation without a homeland? Viyan, a Kurdish artist born in Turkey and now based in Canada, seeks an answer to this question through her “The Heavy Presence of Absence” earrings.

Hand-fabricated in sterling silver and featuring freshwater pearls, this asymmetrical pair of earrings invites dialogue about the question of identity, connection to land (or lack thereof), cultural displacement, and the preservation of endangered languages. 

Whereas one of the earrings displays perfect alignment and order, in the other earring the order is lost as the components of identity have been displaced, leaving behind a frame weighted by their absence. The absence – of sovereignty, a freely spoken mother tongue, and a sense of belonging – forms a heavy presence, causing the frame to hang downward.

Through her exploration of this theme, Viyan seeks to reclaim her Kurdish identity in response to historical marginalization.