Inspired by the concept of unknown intelligence and the mythos of the Cthulhu universe, I have chosen the octopus as the central subject of my photographic work. As mollusks, octopuses exhibit intelligence that has evolved through completely different pathways from humans, making them a subject of fascination and mystery. This alien intelligence evokes curiosity and fear in humans, particularly in our interactions with highly intelligent non-human animals.

This fear parallels the early developmental anxieties described by Sigmund Freud in his psychoanalytic theory, where children experience a mixture of curiosity and terror when confronted with the physical differences between male and female bodies. Freud postulates that boys, upon seeing their mother's genitalia, experience fear due to the perceived difference, which can later manifest as anger and influence their relationships with women in adulthood. In contrast, girls may feel admiration when observing their father's genitalia, which Freud associates with oedipal and paternal attachment. Freud's concepts of androgyny and the 'maternal phallus' further illuminate this complex relationship between gender, fear, and desire.

In my work, the octopus becomes a symbol of this psychological tension. Its fluid, formless body, and multifaceted intelligence evoke a sense of the androgynous, while its many appendages and otherworldly nature challenge the viewer‘s perception of the familiar. Through this, I aim to provoke a simultaneous recognition and unease, invoking Freud’s notion of the uncanny——something known yet deeply unsettling. The resulting images are intended to blur the boundaries between the familiar and the unknown, creating a space where mystery and fear intersect.