Putitskaya calls the face in the mirror a fake ID handed to us in childhood. We spend our lives held captive by that copy, and the real terror is not that the mirror lies but that once the illusion is taken away, we no longer know who we are. The question began where her name, career, and language were rendered void as an immigrant. It unfolds into self-portraits that are grotesque yet impossible to look away from.
She covers her face with transparent plastic, twists the mirror's angle to overlap body parts, and erases nationality beneath white makeup. The symmetrical and repetitive forms hover between human and non-human. She has turned the body control she mastered through dance into a tool for image manipulation.
This series touches the essence of self-portraiture. We confirm ourselves through mirrors, but mirrors never show the truth. Putitskaya amplifies that gap to reveal how unstable an identity construct really is. Migration and language loss only made the cracks more visible.
Do you believe the face in the mirror? Or do you already know it's a mask you carry for life?
FAQ
Who is Valeria Putitskaya?
Valeria Putitskaya is a Russian-born performance artist and former belly dance world champion. After leaving her homeland and settling in Buenos Aires, she began creating 'Diary of Mutation,' a self-portrait series exploring the disconnect between identity and image through mirrors and white body paint.
How is the 'Diary of Mutation' series created?
'Diary of Mutation' is created by positioning a camera at the edge of a mirror laid flat on the floor, duplicating her body vertically. With her face painted white, the artist uses transparent vinyl and mirror angles to create uncanny figures with four eyes and two mouths.
Why does Valeria Putitskaya call the mirror a 'fake ID'?
Putitskaya calls the mirror a fake ID she's carried since childhood. We spend our lives bound to that copy, but the real terror isn't that mirrors lie—it's that without that illusion, we don't know who we are, she explains.
