Reflective Street Silhouettes By Ilker Karaman

A prominent feature of the Ankara-based photographer’s work is the contrast of shadows, silhouettes, and angular perspectives in public spaces. Like many artists, Karaman uses photography as a medium for reflection. The title of the series consequently gives his purpose away: to find oneself—and perhaps to find ourselves in the world around us. When asked in an interview why he uses street photography to explore an intimate theme like self-discovery, Karaman explains: “To be aware of visual beauty around us is not so easy for us in the modern world. We live in [a] hurry and want to be faster to fulfil our responsibilities, and then there is no time left to discover our environment”. We neglect the beauty, he continues, even if it’s right in front of us. “I want to visually show people what they have come to ignore in their daily lives on the streets, through my own presence within them.”