ABOUT

Erhan Karagöz vvas born in İstanbul in 1980. The artist’s interest in painting began in his high school years, and more abstract and expressionist impressions are seen in his artvvorks during these years. In his university years, he has been doing abstract artvvorks where expressionist influences dominate, and in recent years he has been doing artworks vvhere impressionist images and surrealist influences have come to the fore.

The artist thinks that every branch of art is the sine qua non of the human soul, but that painting is the most naive form of self-expression. In recent years. the artist has produced works in different techniques in surreal and figurative styles, mostly portraits, and sees painting as an inner journey; he gives plenty of space to concepts such as sadness, enthusiasm, fear, unhappiness and pain. He focuses on issues such as ’repetition, eye stumbles, confusion* as prominent impressions in his surrealist portrait work. He likens each of his works to a human life, as his works undergo various decision, technical and color changes many times until they are completed.

“I am interested in alchemy. which seems to occur vvhen context is altered and when fragments of images are combined. During the process of transforming the image in my mind into the painting on canvas, all the pieces merge into a context within the framework of a certain order. My aim has been to develop a visual language that reflects not just the present moment, but also the memory and history which underpins where we are now.”

The artist would like his paintings to act as a contemplative space where the viewer can make their own connections and form their own interpretations.

“Painting is a never-ending experiental inner journey that can evoke different emotions in the mind of the viewer.”

The artist focuses on the different emotions, mimics and situations of the people in his artworks, and aims the viewer to create their own interpretations accompanied by different emotions while examining the details of his paintings. In his art career, the artist has participated in many group exhibitions and art auetions with his paintings and has held solo art exhibitions twice, and continiues his art production in his studio in İstanbul, Turkey.