Contemporary Istanbul has been bringing together leading artists and galleries, institutions and organizations from around the world as well as collectors and art lovers in Istanbul for 11 years. Set to run from Sept. 14 to Sept. 17 this year rather than being held in November like in the previous years, Contemporary Istanbul concurs with the 15th Istanbul Biennial this year along with the exhibitions of many art institutions and galleries.

The art fair, which will be held at the Istanbul Congress Center and the Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar Congress and Exhibition Center, is preparing to welcome many local and foreign art lovers with several new attractions.Mercy, 2016 Acrylic on canvas (Gold Leaf) 100 cm in diameter

Seval Özcan, one of the artists who will participate in the fair, makes abstract compositions with different textures and layers on canvases and bears witness to the silent screams of the world and humanity in her paintings. Amid aims to emphasize the transitions in our lives and social problems, Özcan wants to draw attention to the light in the darkness and the darkness in the light with her use of black and white color transitions in her works.

Özcan, whose works center on themes such as space, planets, our world, humanity, emptiness, rhythm, motion, depth, and dimension, was born in Istanbul in June 1983. She graduated from the Faculty of Communication at Ankara University and the Department of Fine Arts at Marmara University. She went on to obtain her Master's degree from Marmara University's Institute of Fine Arts. She will take part in the fair with five works titled, "Tears of the World," "Violence," "The Doomsday," "Calmness" and "Mercy."Calmness, 2016 Acrylic on canvas (Copper Leaf) 100 cm in diameter

The painting titled, "Tears of the World" represents the tears that have been shed for humanity. Drawing attention to the darkness inside of light, and light inside of darkness with black and white tonal gradations, the painter creates a visual symbol of the spirit of the world with the color purple, which is the highest frequency color. The small, circular form in front represents each individual alive, and the large circular form behind represents the world. Özcan wants to illustrate how each individual, through the projection of pain or happiness in their lives, directly influences the supreme entity that we call the "world."

Covering every aspect of such universal issues as injustice, inequality, cruelty and desperation on the canvas, Özcan emphasizes in her works that the divine balance in the world will be restored and that happiness in the world only depends on the happiness of the people living on it.

In her work titled, "Şiddet" ("Violence"), the artist wants to draw attention to the fears emanating from the storm of violence that clouds our world, where we live carelessly. The fierce competition between the good and the bad and the beautiful and the ugly is also depicted.

The artwork titled, "Kıyamet" ("Doomsday") emphasizes the struggle Özcan has with both her inner and physical self. "Doomsday" is actually a symbol of a conscious awakening. Özcan visualizes the concept that every process comes to an end but every end is actually a new beginning.

Özcan's world of duality, with oneness in its body, achieves balance and calmness once again in the work titled, "Sukunet" ("Calmness"). The artist seeks to draw attention to the fact that calmness and peace prevail and the good guys always win through this piece of art.

In the work "Merhamet" ("Mercy") that depicts the human longing for the future, Özcan presents the belief that negative energy will diminish and whoever belongs to the positive side will be stronger, portraying that forgiveness and goodness outweigh evil.