The Trump Art Gallery is hosting artist Aslı Ekim's solo exhibition "Night Travelers" all through October. The exhibition, based on Ekim's long-running research on the monsters of Turkish mythology, showcases more than 40 of her artworks.
Ekim has been researching the monsters of Turkish mythology since 2017. With "Night Travelers" she is now offering art lovers what she has discovered. She tells a different story in each of her paintings and has nearly 40 artworks on the beating of different and powerful characters belonging to the same culture.
Ekim reflects on the stories of various kinds of disasters and extraordinary situations in her works. She said these creatures, which shamans confront through rituals, were the cause of disappearances, stench, luck and misfortune.
"These visible monsters, which disappear into the shadows when the moon is at night, feel our fears in the air, on land and nine floors under the ground. I painted all of this with symbols, like Güzel Hüma, Gulyabani, Kayış Baldır waiting at the lakeside and Kiştey's confusing stories. I have worked in different mediums, including oil and acrylic and used various other techniques," she said. The artist added that these creatures maintain the balance in the world, show people the right way and play the evil role for believing and worshiping gods, but suffer because they are misunderstood creatures and fulfill their purpose of existence like everyone else. Curated by Kenan Bahadır Derre, the exhibition is open until Oct. 31, 2019, at the Trump Art Gallery on the B3 floor of the Trump Shopping Mall.
