MY NAME IS… – Azra Novak

My name is… tells the story of a family forced to face a series of adversities. The mother Melina and the daughter Tiara embark one day on a journey to an island where the husband and father Aras, unjustly accused of selling drugs, is imprisoned.
During the journey, something goes wrong and, due to a storm, the boat on which Melina and her daughter Tiara sailed sinks. The two abandon it and throw themselves into the sea risking their lives but still managing to land on an island in the mainland. Here, they are alone and scattered, and when they are found, Melina is initially presumed dead, only to wake up later. This is a return to life that will mark for her a rebirth, a path backwards, a dive and navigation in the sea of suffering submerged more and more until getting to the source of her pain, her suffering. In therapy, Melina will retrace her entire history, finding the origin of a hidden trauma in the abandonment of her father.
This story teaches us that only by forgiving can we be reborn, that every difficulty also brings with it the strength to overcome it and that perhaps there is beauty even in adverse events. This story teaches us that pain can be transformed into something strong and resilient and that only by confronting what hurts us and what can be uncomfortable, only by questioning our established beliefs and systems of thought can we spread our wings and take flight to a new life, to a rebirth.

Azra Novak was born in Croatia in 1983 and immigrated to Ireland in her 20s in order to find a better life and to educate herself. She has studied employment law and worked in that profession for many years. However, what she considers the most important knowledge did not come from her academic education. While her professional endeavours provided stability, it was her artistic pursuits that fuelled her soul. Her true passion is art in its many forms, and all the work she has created was inspired by real life events.