CLEAN UP THE DEAD YOU LEAVE BEHIND

‘Clean Up the Dead You leave behind’ is a continuation of a series of self-portraits after 2021. The drawing evokes the essence of necrophoresis, a ritual of cleansing found among social insects. In their quiet duty, they carry the lifeless bodies of their kin away from the nest. A silent procession meant to guard the living. Once confined to removing only their own dead, this practice has grown to include even the fallen from outside their colony, sometimes of entirely different species. It is a graceful act of survival—an instinctual effort to shield the community from the creeping threat of disease.

‘Clean up the dead you leave behind’ is a funeral for all versions of myself and others I abandoned over the years.

‘Clean up the dead you leave behind’ is available for sale, costing € 1800 including frame. Contact for more information.