Elif Onay

My work shapes around a surreal figurative language. The fluidity of the formal elements emphasizes the potential of a physical entity to embody any mold. Considering “hyperspace”, where there is no time and space but the infinite potential of the physical reality is harboured, relatedly my visual language reflects the illusionistic aspect of physicality as every physical subject tends to change. So, my work examines the connection between digital, physical and astral realms and the interconnectivity of these realms investigated through series of digital manipulation.

As my recent work evolved around self-portraiture, I intended to use my own image in association with my avatar in cyberspace. The images of me can only be looked at, likewise any visual that is present in the digital realm, bringing out dissatisfaction in the way of fully experiencing my presence by the observer. In that sense, digital self-portraitures act as shadows of the physical entity. The digital realm acts as a reflective plane for the entities that are in the physical realm.

Also, looking at an image is not only a physical experience conveyed by sensations but also spiritual. I aim to set a link between the digital realm and the astral realm by further analyzing this metaphysical experience. “Image” can act as a portal. Relatedly, observer that is in three-dimensional reality gives off their energy to the two-dimensional image due to the implicit necessity of synchronizing with it. If the image is considered to be a shadow, the urge to seek further from the shadow will be always implicitly embedded within the observer. So this unfixable problem will cause the observer’s energy to excessively flow to the image. Through this, I aim to demonstrate the way digital avatars can act as objects of desire, relatedly to the potentials of their hypnotic aspect.

Besides, my dream-state experiences are quite inspirational to me. They lead me to question, “To what extent what I’ve seen in my dreams and experience through my sensations when I’m awake differs?”. In parallel to that, I intend to decode what is associated with “dream”, including the possibility of them physically taking place on another parallel reality or a simulative field. The influence of the simulation theory is prominent in my work, as I focus on creating “reality within reality”. Relatedly, my work embodies the purpose of creating loopholes, acting as portals to alternative realities which can only exist with the digital trace of my work.

My work can also be found at, (elifonay.com).