Havva Malyalizade

To exist is to carry histories, written and unwritten on one’s body. It is to inhabit fractures of migration, inherited violence of patriarchy and colonialism. How do we name the violence and trauma? For the female body it is not named, but it is felt.

As a Turkish-speaking Cypriot artist, my practice unfolds at the intersection of memory, identity, and cultural displacement. Rooted in personal stories, memories and broader diasporic narratives, my work engages with what’s left behind. I get the drive to create art from the silent histories carried by the women in my family, to weave together past and present through a lens that is both personal and familiar, drawing my inspiration from heritage and cultural practices.