Where Is My Destination? 2

by Dan Girma

• Mixed media, slik screen, ink, glue etc
• 20cm by 20cm by 2cm
• 24cm by 24cm by 4cm framed
• unique
• 2025

In this work, the artist confronts a question that is both deeply personal and widely universal: Is my identity reduced to a piece of plastic, a barcode, or a number? Does the system recognise me, or does it only recognise the document I carry?

We live in a world where identity is constantly questioned, validated, or denied based on paperwork. Through this collection, I explore the tension between the visible human being and the invisible system of verification. Whether it’s borders, hospitals, banks, or even within our own communities, our worth is too often tied to what we can prove, not who we are.

Each piece in this exhibition holds a mirror to the bureaucracy that dehumanises, the checkpoints that demand and proof, and the silent frustration of those who are overlooked because their documents are missing, expired, or incorrect. He uses symbolic elements like fingerprints, ID cards, and blurred faces to question what identity really means.

But beyond critique, this is also an act of reclaiming human presence. His art calls attention to the soul behind the system, the life behind the label, and the person in front of the policy. It asks the viewer to pause and see, not just look.

Inspiration for this project comes from both personal experiences and collective realities. He has witnessed how people are treated based on their papers, rather than their stories. He has felt the weight of being unseen and even while standing in plain sight. And he knows that many live in this paradox daily.

The materials he uses are ink, texture, torn paper, acrylic paint, textile and adhesive tape. Layered portraits reflect both the fragmentation and resilience of identity. There is pain in these works, but also dignity. There is confusion, but also clarity.

Through this exhibition, he invites you not just to observe, but to reflect: Have you ever looked past the ID and truly seen the person in front of you? Have you ever felt more like a number than a name? And can we, together, begin to imagine a world where documentation doesn’t define our humanity?

This body of work is a call to awareness, empathy, and above all, presence. Because no matter what the system says, the human being is always more important.