the gaze

These paintings are reinterpretation of Victorian-era black-and-white photographs, transforming these existing images into paintings. Employing a limited color palette, these paintings serve to remember and immortalize children who once lived but are no longer with us. The voids, or "reserves", in the paintings symbolize the children's toys, representing an absence. In reworking these old photographs, Selin intentionally chose not to paint inanimate objects, focusing instead on living beings to bring them to life and make them more visible. Consequently, the unpainted white spaces have become a testament to the powerful presence of what is left unseen, highlighting the strength of these voids, emphasizes the powerful presence of the absence.