C. M. Kosemen

C. M. Kosemen

Artist and Researcher




***

A collection of calling cards

Until the mid-2010s, illegal sex workers in the Turkish capital city of Ankara advertised their profession with small, gaudily-illustrated cards that were strewn about on sidewalks. I saw unintentionally-preserved hints of candour and pathos in the prostitutes' grainy, "true-to-life" portraits; and collecting them quickly became one of my questionable hobbies.

The spread of the internet and government crackdown later led to the extinction of these cards.

In 2022, I donated this entire collection to Duke University's Rubenstein Library.

***





















Back

***

Copyright laws protect all content associated with this site.
Contact c.m.kosemen@gmail.com for inquiries.

***