The Reticent, 2023
Description :
The Reticent uses the familiar mechanism of a zipper to reflect on restraint, speech, and the choice to remain silent. A human figure is enveloped in a cloth-like form, with a zipper replacing the mouth, transforming an everyday device for opening and closing into a metaphor for controlling what we say and when we say it. Just as a zipper is opened only when access is necessary, the work proposes speech as something that can be consciously regulated rather than automatically expressed. The closed mouth does not necessarily signify suppression; instead, it suggests the power of withholding, listening, and recognizing that silence can sometimes communicate more effectively than unnecessary words.
