What do you get when you combine, edit, and juxtapose everyday objects? If you’re Hanne Zaruma, you get visual art that is unexpectedly profound.
Photos courtesy of Hanne Zaruma
Hanne Zaruma is a Ukranian artist imposing society’s most taboo topics on ordinary objects. From phones and purses, to pills and penises, she explores themes of technology, drugs, and sex through her astounding visual creations. In an interview with Vogue, she explained “I make all of my work from used stuff that everyone has forgotten about… I am trying to give it a new life.”
And that she certainly does. Whether its a toothbrush made of teeth, pants covered in hair, or a USB stick tongue, Hanne presents things we are all familiar with in ways we’ve never imagined.
Photos courtesy of Hanne Zaruma
Although her pieces can be quite startling and straight up weird, I think they are thought provoking in all the right ways, and make you question your relationship with everyday objects. While most of her photos lack any kind of caption or explanation, its clear these absurd images are still resonating with people. Her comment section is filled with positive feedback like “I have no idea what this is but its cool”, “This is genius”, and “I truly love your work.” Certainly, Hanne’s art isn’t for everybody, but isn’t controversy what makes art worth making?