There is a saying that I have believed in since I was young: The eyes are the windows to the world. This quote is the philosophical foundation of my work; I want people to get to know me in this series from a different lens. Therefore, I composed a visual story about my six-year journey with problematic eyesight. 

I was born with a condition called ‘Strabismus,’ dysfunction of the muscles controlling the eye due to nerve injury. This condition, caused by farsightedness, muscle dysfunction, and family history, was presented early in my childhood. It resulted in the loss of depth perception, amblyopia or ‘lazy eye,’ and decreased vision in a single eye. This meant I could not enjoy many activities as a kid: riding a bicycle, roller skating, playing any sport, or even drawing. If I did not get it fixed before my teenage years, the damage could have been permanent, and I would not have been able to drive, take photographs, paint, or do any kind of sports. During my early life, I saw the world in a very shallow, distorted view. I am grateful that my parents and my ophthalmologist agreed on surgery to fix my eye muscles, and I was given a second chance. 

Mátia is dedicated to commemorate this part of my life journey. I use a variety of camera lenses and photography skills to portray these memories. The two main techniques are prism and macro photography. Prism photography involves putting reflective and refractive objects in front of the camera lens to create blurry, ever-changing effects. Macro photography highlights small details I couldn’t see before and now am able to view. I continue my concept with my choice of frames. A floating acrylic frame is a perfect choice for my show, as the gallery lights hit my frame, it refracts the light and creates little highlights of a rainbow around the edges. I hope Mátia brings you through a journey where you see the beauty in imperfection. Embracing my flaws was one of the bravest things I have ever done, and so can you!