Rotting From Within - Abdulhamid Kircher

 "Rotting from Within" by Abdulhamid Kircher delves into identity, patriarchy, trauma, and reconciliation through a diaristic project spanning Berlin and Turkey. This deeply personal work is born from Kircher's discovery of generational trauma within his family's patriarchs and his journey to uncover his own identity amidst inherited legacies.

Beginning at seventeen, Kircher reconnected with his estranged father, recently released from incarceration for selling drugs and attempted murder. This reunion coincided with Kircher's foray into photography, offering a lens through which he explored intimacy, his Turkish heritage, and the complexities of his past. Born in Berlin and later fleeing to the USA, Kircher found the camera to be a powerful tool for understanding his father and his culture.

"Rotting from Within" masterfully weaves autobiographical elements with photographic vigor, candidly addressing psychological questions of identity, the glorification of violence, and the myths of masculinity. Through a nuanced documentary approach, Kircher uses portraiture, observation, archival documents, and diaries to create complex visual assemblages. His work captures the tension between speculation and reality, highlighting the inherent unknowability of even those closest to us and the life we are born into.

Discover Kircher's compelling visual narrative, where the intersection of an internal monologue and documentary photography offers a mechanism to cope with and understand the world.