Curated by Dilek Karaaziz Şener, young artist Metin Kalkızoğlu's fourth solo exhibition "Biz Burada Yokken" ("When We Aren't Here") was opened at Sevil Dolmacı Gallery on April 4 and will be on display until April 25. Inviting visitors to see what belongs to nature from a different perspective, the exhibition is a chance to see Kalkızoğlu's perception of art.

Daily Sabah conducted an interview with the artist to learn more about his personal artistic development and his latest exhibition. Kalkızoğlu said that he has been into art since his childhood. He was interested in caricature and cinema along with painting. However, his first professional step in the art world began when he started to study at Anadolu University's Fine Arts Faculty in 2010.

Graduating from this department in 2014, the artist comes to the forefront with hyperrealist portraits and minimalist landscapes in his works. Talking about his source of inspiration, Kalkızoğlu said that it is hard to define inspiration with strict limits. However, he sees the seventh art, cinema, as the most effective source for his soul.

"When I was a child, I collected movie posters. After years, I realized that the aesthetics of movie posters reflected in my work," he said. He also thinks that a scene or atmosphere of the novels that he read is influential on his compositions, as well.

Kalkızoğlu wants to create a simple, calm atmosphere far away from the excess in his paintings. He noted, "This desire directs me to still places where emptiness overtakes me. Avoiding excess is the determiner of what I paint. In a sense, it determines my themes. This is why my view can sometimes be on a still snow view or on an immobile person."

"While preparing my work, a long photography period accompanies it. In my shots, I benefit from poses taken by chance and poses that I have tried to take in order to obtain the view in my mind. Then, I reflect this view on my canvas. However, I cannot say that I am loyal to the originals photos while painting. I try to have the most appropriate piece for me with small touches," the young artist continued.

Kalkızoğlu's work is already part of many prestigious collections, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs collection. Having works of art on display at Societe Nationale Des Beaux-Arts and Kishinev, his work has been displayed in Spain, France, China and Taiwan with various group and solo exhibitions.

Comprising of works that the artist, who presents a simple and silent atmosphere by using acrylic paint on canvas, wood or paper, has created cinematographic scenes, "Biz Burada Yokken" offers a general ambiance of dramatic landscapes and anonymized figures accompanied by a glance far from current time and space.

Kalkızoğlu said that he aims to stay away from the idea that human beings are the center of the universe with this exhibition. He said, "There is a cold, silent and simple aura in the exhibition. I tried to engross visitors into the paintings with a simple approach without distracting their attention."