A few years ago, I posted a selfie on Facebook with a mustache stuck to my face. Some of my relatives saw it and said it was ugly and inappropriate. Unfortunately, I listened — and took the photo down.
A year later, when I dyed my hair blue, they told me again that I’d lost my mind, that I looked ridiculous.
That was the moment I thought — f** it.* I picked up a toy and created my own mustache.
This photo series was inspired by Salvador Dalí’s famous portraits taken by French photographer Philippe Halsman in the 1960s. It became a personal statement — a playful, ironic tribute to Dali’s freedom and extravagance, and a reflection of my own artistic identity: bold, grotesque, and childlike all at once.
I continue to develop the series even today, always exploring connections and relationships.
So when I began creating Popeyit, using the character of Popeye, it felt natural to make links and pay tribute — both to Magritte’s pipe and to the pipe that belonged to Popeye.
Tali’s Mustache
A tribute to Dali’s iconic mustache
Black & White Selfie Series, 2018–2024
#SalvadorDali #Dali #Selfie