Untitled IV, 2022

40”x30”

Marker drawing

In “Untitled IV,” I harness the stark contrast of black marker drawings against gold to interrogate the veracity of electoral processes in my homeland. Drawing inspiration from the unique swirls of fingerprints—each a testament to individual identity—I compose a pattern that speaks to the collective identity of a nation and the personal marks of its citizens’ choices.

This work juxtaposes the organic complexity of fingerprint patterns with the geometric rigidity of brown square papers, symbolic of ballots. These ballots, while emblematic of participation and choice, are marred by an empty circle, a magnifying glass that reveals a void where one expects to find the intricate imprints of the people’s will.

In the absence of these prints within the circle, the silence is deafening—a visual representation of the unfairness and deceit that can taint the sanctity of the vote. This magnifier does not amplify truth but instead exposes the absence, the nullity within the heart of a process that should be the foundation of trust and representation.

Through “Untitled IV,” I aim to provoke reflection on the disparities between the appearance of democratic action and the reality of its execution. It is a call to scrutinize, to look closer, and to seek the fingerprints of truth in the spaces where they should, by right, be found.