TRACES OF WORTH
Traces of Worth investigates systems of value through material processes, using currency as a site where circulation, erosion, and disappearance become visible. Working with obsolete and circulating coins, the project treats currency not as representation, but as material shaped by use and exchange.
Through processes of extraction and transformation, the surface of the coin is displaced and reconstituted, producing minimal works that register material change rather than image. Value is separated from function: the coin no longer operates as currency, yet its trace persists.
The work focuses on what remains once circulation breaks down, where wear, loss, and accumulation become forms of evidence. Positioned between painting and material process, the project remains open-ended, allowing matter itself to carry meaning.
Withdrawn (Diptych)
2025
5x5 in each
Coin residue on archival paper
Unequal Ledger
2025
22.5x22.5 in
Coin residue on archival paper
Ledger Entry 4726
2026
22x22 in
Coin residue on archival paper
MATERIAL PROCESS
The works are developed through processes of extraction, erosion, and transformation using circulating and obsolete coins. Surface patina and residue are removed through controlled soaking and abrasion, then collected, dried, and reconstituted with binding agents.
These materials are applied onto paper to form minimal surfaces that register material change rather than image. The process shifts currency from function to matter, allowing traces of use, circulation, and decay to become visible.
These studies examine variations in residue, texture, and surface formation through controlled material tests. Each work isolates specific conditions of extraction and application, allowing the behavior of the material to guide the outcome.
MATERIAL STUDIES
Residue Study
2025
5x10 in
Coin residue on archival paper
Residue Study
2025
4x7 in
Coin residue on archival paper
Residue Study
2025
5x10 in
Coin residue & Vinegar on Wasli