Where are you Mother to see me now, 2025

Where are you Mother to see me now, 2025, Oil on metal, 136 × 80 × 10 cm

In 2014, Selma Selman began working with scrap metal to create objects that blur the line between painting and sculpture. The dents, stains, and scratches on the metal evoke the material’s history and past life, imbuing the pieces with a sense of time and memory. Selman’s choice of medium is deeply personal—scrap metal has surrounded her since childhood, as the scrap metal trade has been her family’s primary livelihood for generations. She often incorporates scrap Mercedes-Benz car hoods, adding a layer of social commentary on status and identity.

Through her approach, Selman transforms these discarded materials into works of art, often referencing art history in subtle yet powerful ways. Her Roma heritage is a constant presence in her work, providing the “material” through which she inscribes herself into a traditionally exclusive art historical canon that has long overlooked artists like her. This engagement with art history challenges the dominant social narratives that have historically excluded marginalized voices. Themes of self-portraiture and text, particularly from her series “Letters to Omer”, frequently emerge as central subjects in these paintings.