Artist Statement
I am proud to describe myself as a Turkish-born Australian, intercultural artist who embraces the concepts of Kitsch and Camp. Why? My explanation is that I lived in Turkey, which on the surface at least, is a relatively homogeneous society, before moving to Australia – a society whose political leaders oft spruik the benefits of diversity and integration into the creation of a multicultural society….’we are one, but we are many..’ as the song goes.
Canadian liberal multicultural scholar Will Kymlicka wrote ‘we have multicultural states populated by citizens who have only minimal levels of intercultural interaction or knowledge’ [2003 p.155]. A terrifying idea or what? Charles Taylor later argued that multiculturalism encourages the ghettoisation of cultures whereas interculturalism promotes genuine integration. Integration – it sounds so easy, doesn’t it? I turned to painting – ‘my unblinkering’ – as my own, private coping mechanism to help me through this on-going integration process.
I explore figuration and patterned abstraction, combining illusionistic representation and geometric compositional formats. I meld ornament and persuasive painting techniques of western Baroque art with painting and decorative techniques of ‘the East’ (Turkic, Persian and beyond). My (figurative) paintings show figures emerging from intricate patterned frames – these classically illusionistic figures appear within a kitsch surround, providing visual richness and intrigue. I have been investigating ‘needlework’ more recently; this is reminiscent of Persian relief painting, with industrial enamel paint painstakingly applied and manipulated by needles to create both detail and whimsy.
By combining Eastern patterns with Western perspectival representation, I create an intercultural link connecting idealised Western imagery with spiritual symbolism from the East. I want to further unravel the system of binary oppositions – high and low, art and craft, irony and sincerity, masculinity and femininity – to push the boundaries of integration further and further.
CV
2017 Masters of Fine Art-Research, National Art School, Sydney, Australia
2015 Bachelor of Fine Art (Honours) in Painting, National Art School, Sydney, Australia
2003 Diploma Painting, Istanbul Sevinç Altan Art Centre, Istanbul, Turkey
1982 Associate Degree, Economics, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
Selected Exhibitions
2020 ‘Murat’s Roma-perceptions, remembrances, places’, Accelerator Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2020 ‘Misplaced and Dangling’, Artsite Galley, Sydney, Australia
2019 ‘Collector’s Choice’, Artsite Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2019 ‘Art 4 Peace’, Stacks Projects, Sydney, Australia
2018 ‘Collector’s Choice’, Artsite Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2018 ‘Sydney Contemporary’, Carriageworks, Sydney, Australia 2018 ‘BSR June Mostra’, British School at Rome, Rome, Italy
2018 ‘Untitled’, Traffic Jam Galleries, Sydney, Australia
2017 ‘Postgrad Show 2017’, NAS Gallery & Rayner Hoff Project Space, NAS, Sydney, Australia
2017 ‘Flores et Fructus’, Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2017 ‘Nobody Passes’, Library Stairwell Gallery Show – NAS, Sydney, Australia
2016 ‘Wall to Wall’, Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2016 ‘Corpus’, Stacks Projects, Sydney, Australia
2015 ‘Well Red’, Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2015 ‘New Talent Exhibition’, Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2014 ‘(small) GEMS’, Robin Gibson Gallery, Sydney, Australia
2014 St. George Bank National Art School Postgraduate Exhibition
2014 1/2 WAY – Library Stairwell Gallery Show – Honours Painting
2013 Graduate Exhibition, National Art School, Sydney, Australia
2003 ‘Gelenekten Geleceğe Barış Sergisi’, Nazım Kültürevi, Istanbul, Turkey
2003 ‘The Atölye Group’ Istanbul Sevinç Altan Art Centre, Istanbul, Turkey
Collections
Private Collections in Istanbul, Izmir, Edinburgh, London, Frankfurt, Dubai, Sydney, Adelaide
Awards, Prizes & Grants
2018 British School at Rome, Scholar (Visual Arts), Rome, Italy
2017 Finalist (Traditional Category), Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Sydney, Australia
2017 Finalist (Open Category), Fisher’s Ghost Art Award, Sydney, Australia
2014 Robin Gibson Gallery New Talent Exhibition Prize
2014 The Sydney Canvas Company Prize for an Honours Painter
2013 Parkers Sydney Fine Art Supplies Prize
2008 Finalist Gallipoli Art Prize, hosted by Gallipoli Memorial Club Ltd., Sydney, Australia.
Publications
‘Wanted in Rome’, British School at Rome: Fine Arts June Mostra, 12 June 2018
www.wantedinrome.com
Sigglekow, Zara: ‘Best in Show: Graduate Round-Up 2017’, Art Guide Australia, Issue 200, November 2017
Sururi, Gülriz: ‘Bir An Gelir / There Comes A Moment’, Doğan Kitapçilik 2003, p. 114 – 117, p. 146 – 147, p. 161, p .238.
mursan2010@hotmail.com