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GURBET KAFASI

Embroidery
Rug, fake silk, thread
Embroidery, 89 x 97 cm, 2017

Gurbet Kafası, Homesick mood, Kanaken Laune


With this hand embroidery I wanted to reflect my mood of being away from the country of my birth.


My work has 3 titles in 3 languages. Some words cannot be fully translated into some languages, and some
words are unique to the language itself.


So I made a word play through the titles with different languages.


Gurbet kafası is a very arabesque mood and is in a slang form.


It depicts a moment when I hit the bottom of my longing for the homeland.


Kanaken Mood titel is an expression in which i express the way how i percieve it.


The titel ‘’Kanaken Laune’’ is a reaction to the word which is used oft against me during discrimination and
racism.

​

Kanake, Kanak or Kanacke is a mostly derogatory word in German slang for people from Southeastern Eu-
rope, the Near and Middle East and North Africa.

​

And the third title ‘‘Homesick mood’’ also making the bridge that allows me to communicate my situation to
the rest of the world.

©2024, Ezgi Böttger

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