bumkunst

Švalje – Aminifu

Oil on canvas, Aminifu

Aminifu

A darkened surface is interrupted by a narrow vertical incision whose interior emits a restrained red luminosity. The surrounding field appears dense, scarred, and materially unstable, as if the image itself were attempting to contain the force located at its center.

Within the context of Švalje (The Seamstresses), the work refers to forms of bodily intervention performed in the name of purity, control, or social legitimacy. The stitched cut functions simultaneously as wound, prohibition, and enforced boundary. A waxed thread and suspended needle remain attached to the sewn surface, preserving the gesture of repair as something unfinished, procedural, and permanently present.

The title, Aminifu, evokes both personal naming and ritual designation, positioning the body within systems that transform intimate anatomy into cultural territory.

The opening remains visible,
but only under conditions of damage.

Aminifu in “Mali Pijac”
work in progress
Aminifu in “Mali Pijac”
Aminifu in “Mali Pijac”

Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm
Year: 2020
Oil on canvas, red wаxed thread, needle

Švalje (The Seamstresses)

This series emerged after reading accounts of female genital mutilation and other forms of ritualized control over women’s bodies. The works transform the painted surface into a site of incision and repair: the canvas is cut with a scalpel and subsequently sewn, producing forms that oscillate between wound, symbol, and anatomical suggestion.

Although visually minimal, the interventions refer to historical and ongoing practices in which pleasure, autonomy, and bodily integrity are subjected to cultural, religious, or social regulation.

The stitch functions ambiguously throughout the series. It may indicate healing, concealment, restraint, or survival. The image remains suspended between violence and restoration.