Ekrem Yalçındağ, 1964

Ekrem Yalçındağ has a master’s degree in art from Dokuz Eylül University in İzmir. He worked in the studio of Professor Hermann Nitsch at the Frankfurt Städelschule from 1994 to 1999. He currently works in Germany and Istanbul.

Yalçındağ interprets decorative, traditional arts using a contemporary language, emphasizing the relationship between the Islamic decorative tradition and mathematical order and geometry. In compositions where a single botanical motif is patiently repeated, Yalçındağ abandons the laws of perspective rooted in classical western art. His works are produced in three stages: first, Yalçındağ makes a charcoal drawing of a pattern and randomly connects motifs. Then he traces the charcoal outlines with silver acrylic paint, creating clear boundaries between the individual forms. Finally, he fills in the motifs with paint by building up thick layers to create a relief-like texture on the surface. As a result of this meticulous, laborious process, the surface of his works have a three-dimensional quality.

This work “Contrasts”, take its name from his use of primary colors and their contrasts, as well as his use of black and white. It is a contemporary interpretation of the relationship of the decorative tradition with its display spaces.