Murat Morova believes sincerity and innocence are the values that have dissolved the most in our times. He remembers the Folktales of his childhood, in which certain values were extolled through fantastic heroes. His new show inspired by the lithograph illustrations in these stories where heroes used their physical strength for public good and justice, the artist tells a contemporary story about today.
The word Râvî, which currently means “one who tells, passes on”, was formerly used for people who due their just character earned the right to carry over stories of the Prophet. Throughout time, this word was also attributed to those who told of myths, legends and stories in public. Prompted by the concept of “Râvi”, Morova takes on the role of recounting the problems, political predicaments and ethical breaches of our times. The hero that he depicts tries to deal primarily with problems such as climate change, the damaging of ecology and refugee crisis – subjects that occupy today’s current agenda.
The mixed media works on paper and canvas in the exhibition remind us of the texture of Folktales illustrated with lithographs. By using his particular mixed technic the artist references the written format of the stories. He also aims to maintain a sincere bond with the viewer by downplaying the medium. His choice of medium evokes a sense of timelessness and reflects the fictional and circular time manifested in the legends.
Applauded for his ability to represent the contemporary with his idiosyncratic tradition-inspired style, Morova holds on to the illustrative quality that is usually frowned upon in Western Art. Through images that point out a story, which is not fully recognizable, Morova aims to remind the audience of incidents and ideas that has not yet found an expression in social memory.
