Ken ✶ Syakira
UNIT 1
UNIT 2
✶ info
syakiraken@gmail.com
My practice explores the inbetween, interpreting it as a liminal threshold and portal. It is a dynamic, transitional space existing between established binaries like inside/outside and personal/public. This inquiry is rooted in my internal conflict with societal pressure to fit into fixed categories, compelling me to define a personal boundary to maintain a sense of control over my space.
I translate this idea through the architectural fragment of the domestic window grill, inspired by the intricate designs of the window grills of my home in Indonesia. The grill is a powerful paradox: its sturdy structure protects and restricts, yet its ornate pattern invites the viewer’s gaze to linger. It thus serves as a metaphor for the psychological boundary, actively mediating the exchange between the self and the world.
I operate within the expanded approach to drawing, where line is the fundamental element and space is indispensable, recording the trace of human presence within the physical environment. My installations materialize this ambiguity by pairing cold, rigid metal with permeable, fluid chiffon, establishing a deliberate dialogue between these mediums. While the work purposefully serves the ambiguity of defining spatial borders, this fluidity is balanced by the intense control inherent in my labor-intensive process, which ultimately grants me personal agency over the final outcome.