Quantcast
Channel: A La Mode Sydney |
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 7

MERTIM GÖKALP – FEATHERS & KISSES EXHIBITION

0
0

Art2Muse Gallery, located in Double Bay, Sydney, will host Sydney based Turkish/Australian artist Mertim Gökalp’s Feathers & Kisses exhibition from September 2nd through to September 15th 2014.

Following his unique style of transferral of certain emotions and moods onto objects, guise and places in his paintings, once again Mertim creates a surreal world for us. Balancing the spiritual with the provocative to capture the everyday experiences of the contemporary urban woman.

The Feathers & Kisses exhibition aims to unveil the mysticism of women using angelic & divine references, hence the ‘feathers’, while exposing something deeper, instinctive and natural, hence the ‘kisses’.

Mertim Gökalp Blue Mourning $5,200 Oil on linen (90 x 120cm)

Mertim Gokalp Mermaid $2,350 Oil on canvas (80 x 60cm)

 Mertim Gökalp’s Feathers & Kisses exhibition will include his latest paintings that are a series of subjective portraits. Each portrait focuses on capturing particular psychological moments of the subject, where at times the feelings expressed are intimate, exciting, detached, or challenging. Using the narrative potential of portrait painting, literal representations of people posing or sitting are transcended into subjective representations of the psyche.

 Mertim explains, “My portraits are not literal representations of people posing or sitting. These are subjective portraits of the psyche. All portraits reveal something about the subject, but they are open to many interpretations, as they are enigmatic most of the time. My portraits are a celebration of the human form.”

Mertim Gökalp

Mertim Gökalp  holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting, with honours, from Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts, Istanbul (2008). Mertim comments, “as an artist trained at a Fine Arts Academy, I always appreciate and try to live up to, the standards of great academic masters. The inspiration is to incorporate my observations into my unique style”.

Since his move to Sydney from Istanbul (2009), Mertim has been working on his art and distinctive style as a full-time artist. This has played a substantial part in his accomplishments, leading to a Distinguished Talent Visa by the Australian Government, which allows him to live and work in Australia.

Mertim Gökalp Mia’s Dream $5,200 Oil on linen (90 x 120cm)

Mertim Gokalp Lost Feathers $5,200 Oil on linen (90 x 120cm)

Mertim had his first solo exhibition Buoyancy of Water and Bloody Rats of Sydney in 2011. As newly introduced to the city, the artist explored the underground lives of Sydney-siders as he quickly discovered, and became a part of, the alternative lifestyle. Paintings in the series united around the water theme. Mertim’s personal connection to water helped him reflect his early experiences in the city onto the canvas.

To me, painting is a synthesis of my feelings, inspirations, reactions and struggles; it is a way of breathing in and out…Painting portrait is one of my passions as it is a great area to explore the underpinnings of human psychology. Using the narrative potential of portrait painting, I aim to challenge the viewers and confront them with their most inner feelings. - Mertim Gökalp

Mertim in the studio with Nightfall $5,250 Oil on canvas (90x120cm)

Mertim Gökalp  (hangs in his studio) Oil on linen

Mertim Gökalp has been highly awarded both in Australia and internationally, culminating in his selection as a finalist in the 2013 Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales , for his portrait of the late Australian actor Bille Brown. He was also a finalist in the 2011 Black Swan Portrait Prize and has been selected for the Multicultural Australia exhibition at Parliament House this year (2014). Mertim’s most recent achievement was to be selected by Angus Trumble (Director of the National Portrait Gallery) as a finalist for the Glencore Percival Portrait Painting Prize for two paintings ‘Billie Brown in a Turkish Bath’ and ‘Mama Keeps Me Warm’.

Mertim Gokalp Derwish – Archibald Finalist 2013 $16,000 Oil on canvas framed (140 x 185cm)

(Portrait of the late Australian actor Bille Brown)

Richard Morecroft with Jasper Knight (L) and Mertim Gökalp (R) at the Art Gallery of New South Wales – Art Afterhours Archibald Prize Celebrity Event 2013

ART GALLERY OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Mertim is looking forward to future projects. He has developed The Descendants a strong project to honour the Anzac centenary and the Turkish-Australian connections to the common past which will be launched on Anzac Day, 2015. With this project, Mertim seeks to explore a multicultural identity through readings of nationality.

Mertim’s Feathers & Kisses exhibition, much like his third solo exhibition Borderline, is all about exploring the struggles of contemporary women of the modern city life. This exhibition is also important as it reflects the unique sense of satire and humour in his artwork.

Mertim Gökalp Blue Angel $6,500 Oil on linen (100 x 150cm)

Mertim Gokalp The Boy (commissioned portrait) Oil on linen.

Mertim is also available to commission portraits. Mertim works from photographs or sittings for portrait paintings.  Each portrait usually takes between 4 weeks to 8 weeks to complete. If you would like to discuss a portrait project with Mertim, please contact Katrina Hampton from Art2Muse Gallery.

To view the works in person, please contact Katrina Hampton.

Prices quoted are in Australian dollars and include GST for sales within Australia. Copyright of images remains the property of the individual artist


Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 7

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images