BIO

Turgut Kocaman, born in Istanbul in 1979, graduated at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. He has been living in Berlin since 2011, working as a fine artist, scenographer and stage designer for theaters and art venues.

Kocaman’s paintings and drawings focus upon the Subconscious and the forms it creates, guided by emotions of the past, present and future. These realms offer different possibilities and freedoms of thought that intertwine in cultural, political and social spheres. His works show a darker and veiled side to the imagination. The modern world is actively diverse and rapidly changeable. We need time to emotionally grasp these changes. The practice of art and its connection with the Subconscious is a timeless place. While the mind tries to comprehend thoughts within reality, the Subconscious brings them to form.

Formidable archetypes are commonly found in Kocaman’s work- the freedom of the Explorer, the follies of the Fool, the allure of the Lover, the power of the Magician- they ebb and morph into each other, with pulsating body parts factoring into the Kaleidoscopic. Distinct roles and rites of passage blend into one all-consuming Collective Experience of Self. At times rich in color, at times powerfully monochromatic, Kocaman’s artwork is always dizzying and emboldened. All at once, it is fleeting and infinite. The swirling of characters and somewhat familiar shapes allow the viewer to see from their own subconscious, rather than with the eye itself. Kocaman's implementation of Symbology in his art connects our individualistic endeavours and personal questionings onto a broader scale, uniting the Collective as one whole, opening up space and prompting dialogue amongst each other, stemming from the deepest recesses of our minds.

Another underlying current in Kocaman’s paintings is the search for belonging outside of our birthright, and a critique of forced isolation in the process of immigration. In the experience of displacement, we explore variations of ourselves in the Other. In newfound Homes, we morph to adapt in the places we find ourselves in. Eventually, we also change the social & environmental spheres to better accommodate ourselves. We are allotted opportunity to question our dreams & seek new ways to be economically free, yet in doing so, we expand cities of capital, bowing to instant gratification.

In his painting The Golden Boomerang, three figures stand stoically in front of a looming landscape of modernised structures. A pink creature lurks behind, representing the notion that our social superconsciousness fights against nature without even realising it. A golden boomerang is held by the creature, representing that which we send outwards coming directly back to us, with an even greater velocity. A clenched fist arises, morphed out of stone, symbolising the ability for unity of the modern world & nature, if only we are to listen to it.

Are we creating more existential threats in our journeys toward self-realisation and placement in our search for economic & social security? Unfortunately, society views the last arena of intellect as Nature. The reality of placing Self outside of Nature is not the problem; according to Kocaman, the problem we face is that in our personal endeavours for tranquility in cities, natural resources are overextended & ultimately spent. To our own detriment, we actively blockade ourselves from higher modes of organic bliss & harmony. In these places of manmade wonder, we may lose sight of the blessings found in the abundance of nature. It is worth acknowledging that in order for us to find true peace of soul, we need the option of nature to heal it, and the chance for our Subconscious to guide us, to find once again a secured Home in our Selves.

Text by: JannaShaw

FERDA ART SPACE - ISTANBUL

Solo Exhibition

OBEY ART SPACE- BERLIN

Solo Exhibition

Recap: @daantjedamage