Poster, Drawing | 2025 | 297x420mm

Absence
Ioana-Cristina Bobe

Description: “Absence” depicts a grieving Muslim woman frozen in sorrow, beside her child's gravestone. She is not in a cemetery but amidst society, which continues to live, unaware of her suffering. Her world is consumed by loss, while life moves on — children go to school, people carry on. The background is covered in mist and ashes, symbolizing her detachment from reality.

The piece highlights the cruel effects of hatred and discrimination, leaving a mother in agony, forever marked by an absence that can never be filled.

About the artist: Cristina Bobe, Bucharest (1991-) I graduated in 2014 with degrees in Engineering and Law, but, surprisingly, I work in a museum as a graphic designer and photographer. I truly love my job and the amazing people I get to meet! I've always loved drawing but only started painting in 2019 during lockdown — and I haven’t stopped since.

One of my proudest moments as a graphic designer and painter was in September 2024, when my designs won a national competition and were printed on the cups of Romania’s largest coffee shop chain, 5 to Go. As a photographer, I love to explore. I feel most alive in new places, observing my surroundings and how people interact with them.

​Teaching photography workshops at the museum is another activity I enjoy— the kids I work with never cease to amaze me! As a Romanian, I’m honored to be part of this project. I was too young to fully grasp the conflicts at the time, but I believe in the importance of education, to prevent history from repeating itself. I’m grateful we can help spread awareness through art.