Art ON İstanbul will host young artist Onur Mansız’s first solo exhibition, “Tragedy”, from May 27 to July 12, 2014. Living in Spain, Mansız’s hyperrealist portraits demand an emotional intensity from viewers, inviting them to confront their own tragedies, wandering along the borders of melancholy and perhaps dark humor.
At the center of Mansız’s meticulously composed figurative works are the inner turmoils of the individual, open to external interventions. Using people from his close circle as models, the artist photographs their naked bodies by projecting images onto them in atmospheres created with precise lighting and angles. His technical mastery comes into play as he transfers the desired details onto canvas.
Mansız’s emotionally realistic approach may seem at odds with the theatrical compositions dominating his paintings, but this contrast creates a powerful illusion that draws the viewer in. The projected images on the figures illuminate their facial expressions, body language, and the roles and psychological depth they carry. The boldly emphasized bodies allow Mansız to tell new stories whose subjects are himself, art, and humanity. The individuals depicted on canvas resemble us closely: they struggle, get wounded, stumble, and then—whether out of necessity or choice—rise again. Life goes on.
Onur Mansız’s “Tragedy” will be on view at Art ON İstanbul from May 27 to July 12. On Saturday, June 7, at 2:30 PM, a talk with writer Niyazi Zorlu will take place at Art ON İstanbul, discussing Mansız’s exhibition and artistic approach.
