Open Closet was Skuja Braden’s first exhibition in Istanbul, presented at Root Karaköy in 2023 and curated by Pınar Goodstone. Developed in solidarity with Istanbul’s LGBTQ+ community, the exhibition brought together works from the artists’ 2022 Latvian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale alongside new porcelain sculptures.
Drawing on historical representations of sexuality, eroticism, and the body, Open Closet explored the ways sexuality has been used as a means of both expression and social control. Skuja Braden reinterpreted references ranging from ancient erotic pottery and votive figures to contemporary objects and popular imagery, bringing them into dialogue with questions of gender, beauty, desire, and power.
Among the works were pieces from Selling Water by the River, alongside new works including variations from the Penis de Milo series, figurines, pillow vases, and other sculptural forms. Combining humor, eroticism, historical references, and meticulous porcelain craftsmanship, the exhibition created a space in which queer desire and alternative representations of the body could be made visible and celebrated.