Ar(t)chive vol. VI

Su Alara Acerol

Su Alara Acerol is an archaeologist, art historian and a painter. She graduated from Bilkent University Archaeology and History of Art Department with a full scholarship, she later finished her MA at Koç University Department of Archaeology and History of Art (formerly Anatolian Civilizations and Cultural Heritage Management) with a full scholarship as well. She worked in rescue excavations in different parts of the World. In 2015 she entered Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Painting Department for her second BA. In 2019 she graduated as valedictorian and received first place award from Sakıp Sabancı Art Awards. Since then she has joined many group exhibitions and received several art awards. Her paintings and engravings are in numerous private collections as well as in the Cyprus Modern Art Museum’s collection. She opened her first solo exhibition at Istanbul Concept Gallery in October 2020. She is opening her second solo exhibition with Istanbul Concept Gallery in October 2022.

Olga Alexopoulou

b. 1980, Athens. Graduate of the Ruskin School of Art at Oxford University. Her works have been exhibited in museums such as the Museum of Spyros Vassiliou, The Ethnological Museum of Trace, and Pinakothiki of Piraeus, as well as in solo exhibitions in galleries in Greece and the UK. In 2017, Alexopoulou was named one of the top 50 female street artists in the world in publications in London and Paris. In recent years, her works have been exhibited on walls, in museums, and in galleries around the world. The artist presents nature to the audience in an endless and untamed way without domesticating art.

Yağızhan Çalışkan

Born in Ankara in 1992, the artist is currently working in Istanbul. After graduating from Ankara Anatolian Fine Arts High School in 2010, he completed his undergraduate education with a full scholarship in Plastic Arts and Painting Department at Yeditepe University, Faculty of Fine Arts. He completed his master's degree at the same university and started his Art Proficiency Doctorate program in the Painting Department at Marmara University in 2019, where he is still continuing his studies. He also works as a research assistant at Yeditepe University.

The young artist examines the relationship between human beings and nature on an existential level. With a multidisciplinary approach, the artist, who works in different production areas, sees human creation as nature's effort to understand itself. In his works, without establishing a relationship between time and space, he questions the sharpness of the artificial-natural distinction of human beings and the dogmatic attitude towards nature that develops from this sharpness.

Saygun Dura

Saygun Dura, born in 1964, worked as a photographer and photograph director in an advertising agency in the years between 1989 and 1996. Since then, he has been continuing his career as advertising photographer in his own studio. Dura, who has given seminars on advertising and creative ohotography also has given the lectures called "Advertising Photography, Studio and Light Techniques" in many universities such as Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Department of Graphics, Bahçeşehir University Department of Photography, Doğuş University Department of Graphics, İstanbul Technical University Fine Arts Faculty between 2004 and 2014. He curated the book and exhibition called “Deep Sea Illuminators”, worked in the photo shoots of the project called “Do you know Hasankeyf?”. Also took the underwater photographs of a project which is about producing an underground map of the cistern, well and waterways in Topkapı Palace. Many photographs of him which went on the auction have taken part in special collections and museums. Dura, who provides training for underwater photography, is also a diving trainer and did underwater photo shoots and workshops in many parts of the world. Besides national and international awards, he also held personal exhibitions in İstanbul and New York, participated in many group exhibitions and panels, appeared in selection committees.

Murat Germen

Born in Ankara, in 1965, Murat Germen is an artist using photography as an expression and research tool. He holds a MArch degree from the Massachusetts Institue of Technology, which he attended as a Fullbright scholar and where he received the AIA Henry Adams Gold Medal for academic excellence. He currently works as a proffesor of art, photography and new media at Sabanci Universty in Istanbul, and has contributed articles and photo series on architecture, photography, art and new media to a wide range of magazines and books.

His exhibiting career includes over eighty shows both in Turkey and throughout the world ( United States, Italy, Germany, UK, Mexico, Portugal, Uzbekistan, Greece, Japan, Russia, Iran, India, France, Canada, Bahrain, Korea, Dubai, China, Sweden, Switzerland and Egypt.) Currently represented by art ON Istanbul, ARTITLEDcontemporary (Netherlands / Belgium) and Rosies Gallery (San Francisco), more than three hundred editions of his artworks are in eminent personal collections, and several in those of Istanbul Modern and Proje4L Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art (Istanbul.)

Gülercan Hacıoğlu

1960, Bulgaristan doğumlu. 1989 yılında Sofya Ulusal Sanat Akademisinden mezun oldu. 1995-1997 yılları arasında Mimar Sinan Güzel Sanatlar Üniversitesi Resim Bölümü’nde yüksek lisansını tamamladı.

Huri Kiriş

Born in 1980 in Istanbul, the artist graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Department of Painting and completed her master's degree and proficiency in art in the same department. Currently living in Istanbul, the artist works as a lecturer at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Department of Painting. 

In her works, the artist presents the concept of "reality" to the viewer in various ways and in a complex order. With each new work, the artist experiences crossing boundaries and grasping the subtleties of perception. In her works, she skilfully reflects the balance between humanity, nature and culture and the unusual, presenting not only concrete spaces but also the temporary dance of life in fauna and flora. At the same time, the artist reveals the fragile and powerful aspects of existence, adding illusions and reflections to her existing repertoire.

Tayfun Pirselimoğlu

Born in Trabzon. Pirselimoğlu graduated from Middle East Technical University after which he went to Vienna and enrolled at Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst where he studied under Professor Wolfgang Hutter, one of the most important names in the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. He also studied engraving under Professor Sigi Schenk.

Pirselimoğlu held various solo and joint exhibitions in Turkey and abroad. His drawings have been published in a number of magazines. He is one of the founders of the independent art initiative ‘Akademie Genius’ where he has conducted workshops and given classes.

Pirselimoğlu wrote and directed the films ‘Innowhereland’, ‘Rıza’, ‘Haze’, ‘Hair’, ‘I’m not Him’, ‘Sideway’ and ‘Kerr’. He was also nominated for an Oscar for the movie 'Kerr'. He is the author of seven novels (‘Tales from the Desert’, ‘The Album of the Lost People’, ‘Melancholy’, ‘Towers of the City’, ‘Kerr’, ‘Barber’, ‘Surveyor’) and three story books (‘Hotel Rooms’, ‘The Newest Lives of Harry Lime or Praise to the Third Man’, ‘The Other Side of the Desert’)

Gabrielle Reeves

Gabrielle Reeves is a multidisciplinary visual artist from Casper, Wyoming. Her work has been showcased in solo exhibitions at The Brinton Museum in Big Horn, Wyoming, The Nicolaysen Art Museum in Casper, Wyoming, The Dahl Arts Center in Rapid City, South Dakota, Zaratan Contemporary in Lisbon, Portugal, and Istanbul Concept Gallery in Istanbul, Turkey. Additionally, her work has been featured in numerous group exhibitions, including “Kaybolan Suretler / Lost Forms” at Istanbul Concept Gallery, “The Brinton 101” at The Brinton Museum, “Le Printemps des Artistes” at Sainte Pulchérie Fransız Lisesi in Istanbul, Turkey.
Gabrielle’s art is held in several permanent collections, including the Nicolaysen Art Museum, The Guray Museum in Cappadocia, and the University of Wyoming Campus in Laramie, WY. She has been a freelance artist and art instructor in Istanbul, Turkey, since 2014.

Kadir Selçuk Yaşa

Born in Istanbul in 1985, the artist graduated from Mimar Sinan University, Department of Painting and completed his master's degree at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Institute of Social Sciences. 

The artist continues to work and live in Istanbul.