Rite of Passage is a series that examines the bureaucratic processes faced by foreign students applying to study in Germany. Using photocopies of official documents—passports, visas, proof of language proficiency, health insurance, and bank statements—I draw self-portraits directly onto these pages, overlaying personal identity onto institutional frameworks.

The work functions as an act of institutional critique, exposing how identity is defined, classified, and often marginalized through administrative systems. It reflects on the power of paper and ink as tools of validation, control, and access—where a document can grant or deny movement, rights, and belonging. Through this layering of self onto state-issued forms, Rite of Passage explores the blurred boundaries between legality, identity, and personhood, and considers how bureaucracy becomes both a gatekeeper and a site of symbolic sanctuary.