Galeri Nev Istanbul hosts works by Erol Akyavaş who is one of the most prominent names in contemporary Turkish painting. In the exhibition a collection of works mostly composed of icon- like pieces will be on view between April 6th and May 5th.
Akyavaş epitomizes what he strives to accomplish in painting as, “writing poetry in the form of gazel “. He consigns his painting beyond depiction and interprets different ways in making sense of the universe so as to form an exegesis. The exploration lies in the origin of exegesis. Akyavaş sets out with exploring both the visible and the invisible, after which he tends to enclose his discovery by painting. Compositions resembling the old city plans, archeological excavation sites, the walls, labyrinths and fortification walls are all among the spaces that he chooses for his paintings to dwell, which are constructed during his discovery. Akyavaş tends to reshape the figure as well as the spaces with an archeological interest. The icons adorned with beads evoke the holiness and the mortality of the body parts. His icons remind us that his subject of interest is not solely based on mysticism, that he rather establishes the paintings on the repertoire of multiculturalism.
As an artist who provided a peculiar point of view to the painting of 20th Century, Erol Akyavaş has pursued his career between New York and Istanbul. He have begun his art education in Mimar Sinan Fine Arts Faculty, Bedri Rahmi studio as a guest student. He then worked with André Lhote and Fernard Léger in Paris. He has his education in architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Shortly after his graduation, while he was just 24, New York Modern Arts Museum (MOMA), included his painting Glory of the Sultans in their collection.
