10 Turkish Artists and Their Vibrant Abstractions

The reason of an art style's emergence movement often depends on particular historical contexts that precede it. In the case of Abstract art, this style emerged as a departure from Classical academic painting in the late 19th century. Its roots can also be traced back to the world wars as artists began to stray from realistic interpretations in their artworks. Thus, Abstract art became one of the most pivotal art styles in modern and contemporary art. This style of art emphasises an artwork's formal qualities over representational subject matter and manifests itself in non-objective imagery. Following its emergence, abstract art paved the way for different styles of abstraction such as geometric and minimalist art. 

Now, abstract art is widely practiced by contemporary artists and these 10 Turkish artists have created their own abstract artworks through vibrant colours.

No War by Alev Akın 

In 'No War', Alev Akın used paper marbling to create this abstract painting dominated by fluid green and blue hues. Born and based in Izmir, her artworks carry underlying meanings of the modern day as well as of her personal life. To Alev, creation is merely a necessity for her, and she aims to evoke a sense of emotion in her viewers and encourage reflection of one's life.

1701 by Cenk Akaltun

The brilliantly coloured '1701' prompts viewers to pause and think about reality. Cenk Akaltun uses both colour and texture to give meaning to what is visible; this texture is nestled inside and frames the space with its structure. Cenk's creations have been constructed by organic forms, which have their own independent life. To the Istanbul-born artist, the painting is a spiritual organism in that it consists of many individual parts, similar to a work of nature. The individual parts have life only by virtue of the whole, and the purpose of their being is to cause a vibration in the soul. Otherwise, a work of art cannot come into being.

"They put forward the abstract textures and colors that I depict, and if you look closely enough, they display nature exactly as it is, with no intervention whatsoever."

untitled by Hayri Esmer

'untitled' is an acrylic diptych painting on canvas by Hayri Esmer. Born in Eskişehir, Hayri graduated from Gazi University, and obtained his Masters and PhD at the Hacettepe University in Ankara, Turkey. Hayri utilises his academic background in his paintings, and his skilled use of shape and colour comes through in his precise brushstrokes. 

Carrying world by monsters by Effat Pourhasani

Effat Pourhasani sought inspiration from nature to create 'Carrying world by monsters'. Based in Istanbul, Effat's works are largely inspired by the imagery of trees. What results are captivating abstractions of nature painted with layers of colourful acrylic paint. 

Reconstructing Mondrian: Split Mondrian (No:1) by Otto Batuhan Turker

'Reconstructing Mondrian: Split Mondrian (No:1)' is a geometric wall sculpture by Otto Batuhan Turker. Ankara-born artist conveys the essence of chaos in his artwork by highlighting the complexity of contemporary culture. Otto uses the balance and order of Mondrian's artworks to juxtapose the notions of chaos and disorder. Working on spatial and artistic practices, Otto uses approaches that define the representation of the idea through the construction process of the work.

Untitled by Asli Torcu

In 'Untitled', acrylic, ink, pigments, and oil fill the geotextile surface. With nature in mind, Asli Torcu brought an imaginary garden to life through an abstraction of green, pink, and mauve. Born in Konya, Asli currently lives and continues painting abstractions from her imagination in Paris. 

"The act of creation is the action of translating the multi-diverse inner speech into a new language."

orange.yellow.chair.abstraction by Ezzaldin Shahrori

'orange.yellow.chair.abstraction' is a warm-toned oil painting of a chair hidden within layers of abstract lines by Ezzaldin Shahrori. The Istanbul-based artist primarily uses lines to envelop his subject matter in his paintings, which has become characteristic of his artworks.

Phosphorescence by Emin Ozdemir

'Phosphorescence' by Emin Ozdemir is a bright geometric glass painting on plexiglass. Born in Burdur, Emin has been working in his own studio and focusing on his practice since 2012. Through his knowledge of engineering, he has developed a unique abstract technique; he observes the complex structure of nature and has developed a technique of "Rotational Oscillation". He employs concepts such as centrifugal forces, gravity, oscillations, viscosity, fluidity, and other physical phenomena and their relationships with colours to manipulate the effects on the finished artwork.

Turkey, Ordu by Hadi Jamshidi

'Turkey, Ordu' is an oil painting by Istanbul-based artist Hadi Jamshidi. Here, he draws from his memory of Ordu, a port city on the Black Sea coast of Turkey. This materialises into a scene of the Ordu landscape with a highly abstracted sky, which sits behind a bridge and body of water.

chopping knife circle by Şevket Arık

Şevket Arık mainly works with conceptual paintings with a focus on objects as art. In 'chopping knife circle', he abstracts the object of a knife through a neon geometricity, highlighting the beauty in a familiar everyday object.

We hope you enjoyed learning about these 10 Turkish artists and their vibrant abstractions. On The Artling, we have a wide selection of abstract artworks that you can browse here. Check out more artworks on our curated art collection here. If you need additional guidance or have specific requirements, you can have a look at our art consultancy services, or chat with our expert curators on any page.