This thesis explores the mirror as an unstable medium through which identity, perception, and self-awareness are continuously constructed and distorted. Moving between philosophy, psychology, and visual practice, it investigates how the act of looking becomes a site of tension between recognition and misrecognition, truth and illusion.
Drawing on references such as Lacan’s mirror stage, Plato’s allegory of the cave, and Borges’ literary reflections on infinity and duplication, the research positions the mirror not as a passive surface, but as an active agent that shapes how we understand ourselves. It reveals how self-perception is mediated by layers of projection, cultural frameworks, and cognitive bias—suggesting that what we see is never entirely what is.
The practical outcome takes the form of a graphic series printed on mirror surfaces, where text and reflection coexist and interfere with one another. These pieces invite the viewer into a direct confrontation with their own image, transforming observation into participation. In doing so, the work proposes the mirror as both a device of self-recognition and a space of uncertainty, where identity is not fixed but constantly negotiated.