Fatoş Irwen, 1977

Born in Suriçi, Diyarbakır, Fatoş İrwen works across media, including video, textiles, performance, photography, and installation, focusing on memory, body politics, justice, and the effects of geography on the individual. Also known for her activism, İrwen was imprisoned for political reasons from 2017 to 2020; despite all restrictions, she continued to produce work during this period.

The artist’s “Rosa,” begun in prison, takes its title from both the story of a female resistance fighter involved in the trench conflicts in Sur, Cizre, and Nusaybin in 2015–2016 and from the artist’s niece, Roza. While İrwen was in prison, her sister sent her a pink dress belonging to Roza to ease the artist’s longing for her niece. The artist began adding pins from shopping bags to the dress, arranging them to resemble a hedgehog. The production process, which began in prison, continued after her release and spanned four years. Inserted one by one, the pins reflect the work’s extended production process while visually articulating notions of protection and defense. Through this slow, repetitive gesture, an ordinary child’s dress becomes a powerful means of expression. “Rosa” brings together the fragility of childhood with forms of defense and resistance associated with the female body, transforming into a poetic armor that carries both vulnerability and the need for protection.