Artist Statement
My paintings take shape through the convergence of reality and my inner world. Working primarily with harmonies of subdued color values, I frequently employ oil and acrylic paint in my practice. Through an expressive approach, I translate my psychological experiences onto the surface in multiple layers, placing greater emphasis on process than on outcome. The central concern of these works is the psychological state of the figure.In compositions that often feature a solitary figure, space loses its significance, allowing the figure to become the focal point and its psychological dimension to emerge more powerfully. For me, the excitement of painting stems not from mere visual impressions, but from the emotional processes embodied in the figures I depict. In this sense, the portrait is a genre I frequently explore. By reshaping figures and formal elements to emphasize the narrative, I create a dramatic atmosphere through my frequent use of monochromatic harmony and carefully orchestrated light and shadow. Across my evolving series of paintings, this approach gives rise to a partially fantastical reality. Alongside my observations of the external world, I also construct compositions that draw upon my personal life. The figures inhabiting my interior scenes are the people with whom I share my life. Although my personal world and my observations of the external world serve as two distinct points of departure, tracing the impressions each presence leaves on me forms the essence of what I seek across different subjects.
İbrahim Özsözgün born in Diyarbakır in 1994, graduated from Ankara Fine Arts High School, and then went on Depertmant of Painting at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in 2012.
In 2017, the artist graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Department of Painting and started his master’s degree at the same university in 2018. The artist, who completed his master’s degree in 2021, continues his works in Istanbul.
Solo Exhibitions
2025- “Monodram”, KAIROS Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
Group Exhibitions
2015- “New Searches” Painting Competetion, Ulus Lions Club, Mimar Sinan Hall, Istanbul, Turkey
2016- International Istanbul Art Fair, TUYAP Fair and Congress Center, Istanbul, Turkey
2017- “Night-Daytime” Painting Exhibition, İstanbul Culture University, Istanbul, Turkey
2017- TÜYAP Istanbul Art Fair, “Fluxus”, TÜYAP Fair and Congress Center, Istanbul, Turkey
2018- TÜYAP İstanbul Art Fair, “Group Downstairs”, TÜYAP Fair and Congress Center, Istanbul, Turkey
2019- Artweeks 3, Akaretler Sıraevler, Istanbul, Turkey
2020- “We Have a Massage!” 10×10 Series Exhibition, Istanbul Concept Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
2020- 15.Contemporary Istanbul, Association of Art for Good, Istanbul, Turkey
2021- Art Ankara 7. Contemporary Art Fair, ATO Congresium, Ankara, Turkey
2021- ”HEYÛLA” Painting Exhibition, Anel Business Center, Istanbul, Turkey
2021- “TEPKE” Painting Exhibition, Anel Business Center, Istanbul, Turkey
2021- Nuri İyem Painting Competition Exhibition, Evin Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
2022- Nuri İyem Painting Competition Exhibition, Evin Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
2023- Bodrum Art Fair, Biriz Art Project, Herodot Cultural Center, Bodrum, Turkey
2024- “3” Painting Exhibition, Gallery KAIROS, Istanbul, Turkey
2024- “The Century of Pera Prologue: Lost Time”, Gallery KAIROS, Istanbul, Turkey
2026- “London Art Fair”, Gallery KAIROS, London, United Kingdom