I See Red (2024) is explores the artist’s exploration of their trauma and strength, along with the chaos of life and being able to control it with your own rules. The artwork itself is a declaration of the artist not to be held by other people’s rules but rather her own. It thus captures the self-realisation of the artist’s transformation and empowers the artist.
The painting has a defiant energy in which Durmush has asserted her identity onto the canvas. The work’s title, “I See Red”, implies the symbolism of the colour mentioned itself- that red is associated with anger, danger and passion. Thus, she describes it as a “child’s toy”; this implies that even the opposing forces of innocence and aggression are a part of the work. The living by your own rules in the work also creates another layer to the work- in that it reflects societal expectation and that personal freedom comes first and can break free from these rules.
The work’s colours are explosive, filled with oranges, reds, and purples and splashed with yellows and gold. Below these elements, there is a more literal splash, as the whites and blues seem to represent a sudden splash into the water. These colours overlap each other and are chaotic which seem to evoke the idea of disregarding the rules. Thus it is challenging the individuality over submission to society or other people’s rules.