Contemporary Istanbul 2022

JD Malat Gallery at Contemporary Istanbul 2022

JD Malat Gallery is pleased to present its group exhibition for the 17th edition of Contemporary Istanbul, bringing together highly expressive works by the following six artists: London-based Ghanaian artist Kojo Marfo, Spanish artist Luis Olaso,

Turkish artist Zümrütoglu, Colombian artist Santiago Parra, Norwegian artist Henrik Uldalen, Turkish sculptor Hande Şekerciler and British artist Georgia Dymock.

Through its diverse international selection of contemporary artists for the art fair, JD Malat Gallery aims to contribute to the multicultural dialogue within the creative scene of Contemporary Istanbul 2022 and highlight the gallery’s innovative and uniting role in the world of contemporary art. By bringing together the works of artists with diverse cultural backgrounds, age groups and academic bases, JD Malat Gallery seeks to offer multiple viewpoints on the contemporary human condition and the notion of identity.

Kojo Marfo

Observing and following the experiences of different people in the current day and age, Ghanaian artist Kojo Marfo sources his inspiration from the unique tales shared by many from across the globe. Using Akan art motifs, Marfo develops a universal visual language. Unifying the stories and experiences of others with his own, the artist builds a global narrative through his abstract figurative canvases, inviting the viewer to face the piercing gazes of his subjects.

Georgia Dymock

Georgia Dymock's contorted figures stretch and push the limits of reality, creating soft shaped figures, which invite the viewer to take a closer look and discover Dymock’s intricate textures. Her practice creates an encompassing, purely imaginative narrative, which comments on our constant interaction with the digital world. The universality and brightness of her canvases continue the conversation initiated by Marfo, while opening the discussion on the ‘self’ as an isolated entity in larger, more complex social settings. Through colour and form, Dymock dismantles one’s understanding of human relationships and interactions. The unusual colour palette, largely influenced by the immense possibilities of image generation in digital softwares like Adobe Photoshop, makes her work unbiased and approachable.

Zümrütoğlu

Zümrütoğlu’s work embraces the dehumanisation of modernity, inviting us to peer into the window of the subconscious. He reminds us of the fragility of human existence, revealing a narrative steeped in the depths of psychological anxiety and pollutions of the mind. As such, Zümrütoğlu’s work beautifully captures the dysmorphic unease of the German Expressionists; the anxieties of modern life descend onto the canvas in a single chaotic tension, welcoming the viewer into this circus of Boschian proportions, no doubt in reference, perhaps, to the artist’s time spent in Europe. Zümrütoğlu’s blunt expression of form and heavily impastoed canvases become a motif for the chaotic, an affliction which creates further unease.

Luis Olaso

Luis Olaso’s bright and vivid still life paintings draw inspiration from his surroundings. He introduces the balance between figuration and abstraction through incorporating plants and everyday objects, all depicted with less controlled emotive brushstrokes. Olaso introduces the ongoing conversation on abstract expressionism, while expanding his approach towards painting. Creative impulse and careful analysis are intertwined in an organic artistic production method. The artist layers different painterly techniques and mediums such as acrylic, oil bar, oil pastel, spray paint, and more. Continuing the development of abstract expressionism, the artist creates canvases which evoke serenity and joyfulness and act as a counterbalance to the turbulence of everyday life.

Santiago Parra

Known for his large, abstract, and highly expressive black paintings, the Colombian artist Santiago Parra introduces new modes of organic rpoduction into his practice. The initial seemingly flat appearance of calligraphy-like imagery is dismantled when the viewer discovers the porous, uncontrollable nature of the acrylic paint, frozen in the momentum when it meets the raw canvas. Parra harmonises the two seemingly incompatible elements of spontaneity and pondering, while always aiming at distancing himself from his surroundings while painting. Through his canvases, Parra deepens the conversation on escapism, freedom, and restraint when it comes to the process of artistic production.

Hande Şekerciler

Şekerciler is a sculptor renowned for her figurative forms, crediting her influences as artworks of the Hellenistic and Renaissance periods. Artworks from these periods act as a stimulus from which Şekerciler uses to experiment with ideas of form and social issues in her sculptural work. The nude sculpted figures in Ecstasy reject clothing, accessories, and even hair to remove them from gendered and societal labels. This so-called‘purification is an attempt to create characters which are at peace with their sexuality and orientation, who embrace their existence. Şekerciler interest in technology and new production techniques help her to combine classical forms with contemporary production methods.