In our 547th Art Gathering, we are visiting the studio of ceramic artist Aslı Aydemir.

Born in Istanbul in 1973, Aydemir began her education at Saint Michel French High School, continued her academic journey at Istanbul University's French Philology department, and then, due to her strong artistic inclination, crowned her studies at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University's Ceramics and Glass Design Department. After graduating as the top student in her class, she strengthened her academic background by pursuing postgraduate studies in Industrial Design at Marmara University's Institute of Fine Arts. Between 2005 and 2017, she also reinforced her academic identity by teaching ceramics at Boğaziçi University. Since 2007, she has continued her artistic production in her own studio in Istanbul.

The artist treats ceramics not only as a material but also as a narrative language. Inspired by the unpredictable nature of ceramics, Aydemir blends this randomness with the dynamics of the society she lives in, presenting it to the viewer. The themes that stand out in her works, which bear the traces of her geography, include the issue of women, peace interests, and religious elements. While using ceramics as her main material, the artist adopts a technique based on unit multiplication through molding and prefers installation as her form of expression.

Aslı Aydemir has participated in many important group exhibitions, fairs, and symposiums in Turkey; and has represented Turkey in international exhibitions and workshops held in countries such as Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. Since 2016, she has made a name for herself with solo exhibitions such as “Restoration of Reputation,” “Social Media Effect,” “Chinatown,” and “la vie m’suffit,” and in 2025, she met with art lovers with her solo exhibition titled “euphoria’s abyss” and her curatorial project titled “sacred intersection.”

Wednesday, March 11

12:00-13:00

Address: Türkali Mahallesi Altıntaş Sokak No: 12/A Beşiktaş

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ygwta9pGMzgk5Tjc6?g_st=ic

At our 546th Art Gathering, we are visiting the "İbrahim Çallı Retrospective Exhibition" at the Istanbul Art Museum. The exhibition of İbrahim Çallı, who led a life "as rebellious as his brush, as colorful as his palette," brings together the master's works in various genres. Titled "The Memory of Color, The Soul of the Brush, A Passionate Life Lived with Colors: İbrahim Çallı," the exhibition features a total of 64 oil paintings and mixed media works, as well as 24 photographs. The works in the exhibition consist of portraits, landscapes, figurative depictions, and nature-themed pieces. One of the most striking works in the exhibition is a portrait of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, painted by the artist himself. Born in 1882 in Çal district of Denizli, İbrahim Çallı graduated from the School of Fine Arts with top honors and was sent to Paris in 1910. Having trained for four years in the studio of the renowned French painter Fernand Cormon, Çallı returned to Turkey in 1914 with the outbreak of World War I and, together with other painters, formed the school of art known as the "1914 Generation" or "Çallı Generation." This generation introduced Impressionism to Turkish painting and worked together in the Şişli Studio, which was established to create war paintings. Despite his academic training, Çallı is known for his free and fluid brushstrokes and his emphasis on the harmony of light and color. He drew his subjects from daily life, the glittering landscapes of Istanbul (especially Göksu, Emirgan, and the Bosphorus), portraits, and still lifes; his still lifes made from trees in the Academy garden are known as "Çallı's famous magnolias." Having taught at the Academy of Fine Arts for many years, Çallı trained important figures of Turkish painting such as Şeref Akdik, Refik Epikman, Elif Naci, Ali Avni Çelebi, Zeki Kocamemi, and Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu. Continuing his activity during the Republican era, the artist painted portraits of Atatürk and reflected the revolutions and social changes of the period in his works. We will tour the exhibition with Sertaç Dinçer, the director of Istanbul Art.

Wednesday, March 4th

12:00-13:00

Address: Bedrettin, Şişhane Caddesi, No:57, Beyoğlu

https://maps.app.goo.gl/gVvAviQKRhBrHj596?g_st=ic

At our 544th Art Meeting, we are at the “Semiha Berksoy: Aria of All Colors” exhibition at Istanbul Modern. Born in 1910 and passed away in 2004, Berksoy was not only Turkey's first female opera singer; she was also a multifaceted intellectual of the Republic who made the stage her canvas, the brush her voice, and life itself art.

The exhibition, featuring over 200 works by Berksoy, is not merely a retrospective; it presents a layered narrative that reveals the unique relationships she forged between opera, theatre, painting, and literature. The selection, ranging from early drawings to opera-themed paintings she brought to the stage, from self-portraits to tablecloth paintings, reveals Berksoy's personal mythology and the deep connection she had with the stage.

She left her mark with her role as Ayşim in Özsoy, the first Turkish opera seen by Atatürk in 1934. In 1939, she became the first Turkish soprano to appear on the European stage, taking on the leading role in Richard Strauss's opera Ariadne auf Naxos in Berlin. She was also the lead actress in Turkey's first sound film, *Istanbul Streets*. She also entered the world of literature with her short story *Letter from the Grave*, published in 1935. At the age of 89, she performed at the Lincoln Center in New York; her paintings were exhibited at the Venice Biennale.

The exhibition explores all these works through a thematic structure. In a red room, the stage atmosphere is recreated, and the warmth of improvisation is felt in the canvas paintings. In the literature room, Berksoy's relationship with her pen is examined. In the film archive, stills from *Istanbul Streets* trace her mark on cinema.

*Museum tickets can be obtained at the box office.

Full Ticket 550 TL

Student 320 TL

https://www.oggusto.com/sanat/sanatci/semiha-berksoy-kimdir-eserleri

Wednesday, February 18

12:00-13:00

Address: Kılıçali Paşa, Tophane İskele Caddesi No:1/1, Beyoğlu

https://maps.app.goo.gl/68yTiXfyim5apcri6?g_st=ic

At our 544th Art Meeting, we are at the “Semiha Berksoy: Aria of All Colors” exhibition at Istanbul Modern. Born in 1910 and passed away in 2004, Berksoy was not only Turkey's first female opera singer; she was also a multifaceted intellectual of the Republic who made the stage her canvas, the brush her voice, and life itself art.

The exhibition, featuring over 200 works by Berksoy, is not merely a retrospective; it presents a layered narrative that reveals the unique relationships she forged between opera, theatre, painting, and literature. The selection, ranging from early drawings to opera-themed paintings she brought to the stage, from self-portraits to tablecloth paintings, reveals Berksoy's personal mythology and the deep connection she had with the stage.

She left her mark with her role as Ayşim in Özsoy, the first Turkish opera seen by Atatürk in 1934. In 1939, she became the first Turkish soprano to appear on the European stage, taking on the leading role in Richard Strauss's opera Ariadne auf Naxos in Berlin. She was also the lead actress in Turkey's first sound film, *Istanbul Streets*. She also entered the world of literature with her short story *Letter from the Grave*, published in 1935. At the age of 89, she performed at the Lincoln Center in New York; her paintings were exhibited at the Venice Biennale.

The exhibition explores all these works through a thematic structure. In a red room, the stage atmosphere is recreated, and the warmth of improvisation is felt in the canvas paintings. In the literature room, Berksoy's relationship with her pen is examined. In the film archive, stills from *Istanbul Streets* trace her mark on cinema.

*Museum tickets can be obtained at the box office.

Full Ticket 550 TL

Student 320 TL

https://www.oggusto.com/sanat/sanatci/semiha-berksoy-kimdir-eserleri

Wednesday, February 18

12:00-13:00

Address: Kılıçali Paşa, Tophane İskele Caddesi No:1/1, Beyoğlu

https://maps.app.goo.gl/68yTiXfyim5apcri6?g_st=ic

In our 543rd Art Gathering, we are visiting artist Mehmet Sinan Kuran.

Born in Ankara in 1964, the artist, who began his painting journey after the age of 45, quickly became a painter admired and appreciated by both viewers and collectors. In his drawings, the artist enriches his unique world with details, thus striving to both remain close to the miniature tradition of depiction and to visualize the time period in which he lives in a playful way using popular imagery. His diaries, reflecting his visual memory, are enriched with clues from both social and individual experiences on different levels. These diaries convey to the viewer how the artist shapes his own reality within the colorful kaleidoscopic world he has created. The artist's works are included in many prestigious art collections in Türkiye. He has participated in exhibitions both domestically and internationally.

Wednesday, February 11

12:00-13:00

Address: Çiftlik Mahallesi, Cumhuriyet Caddesi, Hamsi Sokak No:4, Çavuşbaşı/Beykoz

https://maps.app.goo.gl/W5NqpTc7YZUUkURS8?g_st=ic

At our 542nd Art Gathering, we are visiting the studio of Emin Mete Erdoğan.

Born in Istanbul in 1982, the artist graduated from the Painting Department of Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts in 2010. In 2013, he held his first solo exhibition, "Entangled CERN Plans," at Sanatorium. His works have been featured in numerous group exhibitions, including "No 3" (Nesrin Esirtgen Collection, Istanbul, 2013), "Fracture" (Kare Sanat, Istanbul, 2014), and "Detail" (Blok Art Space, Istanbul, 2016). In 2015, he held his second solo exhibition, "Entroforming," at Xist Gallery. She also participated in Miami Pulse 2013, Art Stage Singapore 2016, Art Dubai 2016 and 2018, Contemporary Istanbul 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17, and ArtInternational 2014 (Istanbul). In 2015, she was included in the book “Gestalten Illusive – Contemporary Illustration Part Four”.

The artist creates a hybrid language in her works, combining technical drawing with classical painting techniques. Her work sometimes draws inspiration from mythological narratives and sometimes from scientific thought. These two seemingly different approaches are brought together and conveyed to the viewer through the artist's contemporary interpretation. The crowded and epic scenes frequently encountered in her works allude to dystopian and utopian realms of thought. Instead of directly presenting images, the artist proceeds through representations related to the subject matter. In her compositions, she constructs image selections without being bound to a specific time or place. Past and present, East and West are used together within the same frame. This approach is described by the artist as "sub-time" and "sub-space."

The artist's creative practice is carried out in four main mediums: painting, sculpture, video, and relief. The starting point of the compositions is mostly painting studies. The artist believes that he prioritizes painting in the production process. The different approaches to the same image create varying emotions in the viewer. For example, the theme of a herd of animals creates a different atmosphere when depicted in a painting, while it creates a different perception in sculpture. In surface works, more mystified scenes are constructed through the artist's unique image language and use of color.

In sculpture, a clearer and simpler approach is adopted. Proportions are not consciously manipulated, and the use of color is mostly limited to white. In this medium, the desire to show what exists clearly and directly comes to the forefront. In relief and video works, an emotional space is created that lies between painting and sculpture.

Wednesday, February 4th

12:00-13:00

Address: Rasimpaşa Mahallesi İzzettin Sokak No:43/B (entrance shop) Kadıköy

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zAojj447yiqJGLx5A?g_st=ic