Hande Sever (Art MFA ‘18) explores cultural and political archives by excavating texts and images that shape historical narratives. Often drawing from her own family’s history of persecution, her work examines the intersection of personal and collective memory, particularly in the context of military violence, surveillance, and censorship. Take off your eyes presents two bodies of work rooted in Southern California collections. To Thread Air (2023) is based on research Sever conducted in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, and examines the relationship between the former actor and US President and Kenan Evren, former Turkish President and right-wing leader of the 1980 Turkish coup d’etat. Stemming from an album held in the Ottoman Empire photography collection of the Getty Research Institute, In Search of ‘My Beloved Pauline’ (2025) follows the path of a German soldier who documented sites of colonization throughout and beyond the Ottoman Empire from 1917–1918.

This exhibition is co-curated by Daniela Lieja Quintanar, Chief Curator and Deputy Director, Programs and Talia Heiman, Assistant Curator.

Hande Sever: Take off your eyes is made possible through generous funding from Betsy Greenberg. The artwork In Search of My Beloved Pauline by Hande Sever is funded in part with support by the Eidolon Center for Everyday Photography, the Allianz Foundation, and the Hrant **** Foundation.