Multidisciplinary artist Tuğçe Diri’s solo exhibition “Underneath The Stones; Moment and Archive” opens on May 10 at Anna Laudel Istanbul.
The exhibition encapsulates the cultural fabric of Türkiye while reflecting the rich expressions of contemporary art.
Working mainly with oil and acrylic paint on canvas, as well as incorporating techniques such as lace, thread, and collage, Diri synthesizes surreal imagery with natural materials drawn from everyday life and the heritage of traditional and artisanal crafts of Turkey, be those found in textiles, tile work or architecture. The curated selection, reflecting the artist´s distinct style of converging emotional yet non-figurative expression with dynamic compositions of color and texture, can be seen as a showcase of what defines Diri´s research-based artistic style.
Diri uses the graphic frottage technique as a way of creating and erasing her own patterns. She doesn’t limit herself to just one medium but instead works with many. Through the method of abstraction, she interprets architectural forms in unconventional ways. This allows her to recontextualize the physical representation of spaces, regions, and urban landscapes into a new narrative. She incorporates traces from the past that live in memory but still define the present day.
Drawing inspiration from significant architectural structures such as the Hagia Sophia, the AKM, the Arab Mosque and the Molla Zeyrek Mosque, the curated selection symbolises our evolving cultural and architectural memory, much like the ever-changing stone textures of these buildings throughout the years.
The exhibition continues until June 30.
