From my windows

to inside

Windows: Part 4

Vermeer’s mastery lies in his ability to represent the light coming into his studio from a left-side window, but it is again Edward Hopper that mesmerizes me. ‘Sun in an Empty Room’ (1963) probably stands as a pinnacle of his exploration of sunlight on the floor and walls of an empty apartment, creating rectangular bright and dark shapes that vary with the orientation and shape of the window. The intensity of light and the surfaces it illuminates also affect colour shades, as the effects of light on a green concrete wall will not be the same as on a wooden brown floor. Following these findings, I sought to photograph these effects in my four rooms to reveal how such shades are created.

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Beyond providing light and views, windows serve various practical functions in daily life. For instance, after a shower, we open the bathroom window to let the floor dry, and after cooking, both the kitchen and bathroom window are opened to dissipate odors. In winter, the afternoon sun on the closed balcony warms up the bedroom while in summer, we open them up to ventilate the apartment and avoid relying on air conditioning. To prevent the door from slamming shut when the windows are open, I have used a shoelace for two years to tie the door handle to a metal towel holder. Additionally, we put the mosquito net to keep insects outside, which paradoxically obstructs our view. The same happens when we open the window for fresh air as we get in turn more dust inside, as if it was inevitable for a window to have this dual role. While windows are mainly a functional element, some may completely lack of practical utility, while others are adorned with decorations, like the large illustrations and Christmas stars we added, leaving us with a positive and fairy touch inside the apartment.