For many years, I have enjoyed working with mirrors, reflections, hidden messages, repetition, and double meanings of words. I am also interested in creating moments of thoughtfulness and playful encounters in the gallery setting. The Sharjah Calligraphy Biennial 2018 proposed theme ‘Essence’ urged me to create an engaging, playful, and stimulating installation I have titled it “Look Deeper.”

Look Deeper Is a text-driven installation by Camilo Rojas in which the viewer, as the subject, is actively and creatively exploring one’s own personal and individual essence. The installation consists of a large, double-sided reflective structure placed in the middle of the gallery. The text element is illuminated and embedded behind the reflective panel hinting at the piece’s introspective nature and illustrating how essence comes from within, though it is often hidden behind a shell.

In order to create a moment of thoughtfulness and interaction in the gallery setting, intriguing phrases, and questions appear on a wall before one’s eyes. Ultimately, the wall addresses viewers directly and helps them discover who they are on the inside. Further, many letters on the wall and floor are flipped, which makes them legible only when viewed on the reflective panels.

The intricate nature of the letters, juxtaposed with the two-way mirror, dares the viewer to look deeper. As the viewer gets closer, the reflective sculpture reveals an engaging hidden question about one’s essence: Who are you? من أنت This offers a space for reflection and interaction with others and ourselves.

The “Who are you?” encourages us to wrestle with our true essence and suggests that there is more to a person than one’s reflection. The work is public, but private at the same time, drawing each person that encounters it into a space of intimate reflection.