A few days ago, a dream came true for me: to have an exhibition in the heart of Chelsea’s art galleries, in New York City. Everything happened as part of the Marked For More project, initiated by The Social Incubator Association, which marked its presence in the USA.
The project is not just an exhibition, but a story about young adults raised inside the Romanian child protection system. The red thread connecting the portraits of these young adults is their tattoos. These are young people entering adult life without family albums, but carrying their tattoos instead, as a form of memory and identity, or as a mark of survival. Their tattoos represent names or things they do not want to forget, losses, fears, new beginnings, or promises made to themselves.
It is important to remember that more than 60,000 children are raised inside the child protection system in Romania, and approximately 3,500 of them leave the system every year, starting their adult lives without support, financial stability, or the real network that many of us take for granted. The Social Incubator is committed to engaging with these issues and finding ways to support them.
For me, this project was a wonderful surprise. I had the opportunity to meet 16 of these young adults in my studio, over three consecutive days, to talk with them, to understand them, and to take their portraits as best as I could. It was an opportunity for me to enter their lives and to learn a lot from their powerful stories, a real life lesson for me.
Also, I have to admit, it is deeply meaningful for me to see this project exhibited in New York City.
Thank you Adrian Preda, Silvia Carasel, Maria Iordache, Teodora Alupei, Catalin Balan, The Social Incubator, The Social Incubator USA, Green Communication, and everyone involved.
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