Multidisciplinary artist Tuğçe Diri's upcoming solo exhibition “Underneath The Stones; Moment and Archive” is set to dazzle art enthusiasts at Anna Laudel Istanbul. The exhibition encapsulates the cultural fabric of Türkiye while reflecting the rich expressions of contemporary art. Visitors will have the opportunity to visit this compelling showcase at Anna Laudel from May 10 to June 30,.
Primarily working with oil and acrylic paint on canvas, as well as incorporating techniques such as lace, thread and collage, Diri seamlessly synthesizes surreal imagery with natural materials drawn from everyday life and the heritage of traditional and artisanal crafts of Türkiye, be those found in textiles, tile work or architecture. The curated selection, reflecting the artist´s distinct style of converging emotional yet non-figurative expression with dynamic compositions of color and texture, can be seen as a showcase of what defines Diri's research-based artistic style.
Diri perceives her use of the graphic frottage technique as a process of recreating and erasing her own patterns and struggles working with specific media. Yet, by interpreting architectural forms in an unconventional manner through the method of abstraction, Diri recontextualizes the physical representation of spaces and regions, as well as urban landscapes, into a new narrative, incorporating the traces left from a past that now lives in memory, but which yet defines the present day.
In her own words, Diri defines the series as an "effort to evoke vanished environments and cultural heritage," rediscovering the balance in relationships such as power and architecture, remembrance and loss.
Drawing inspiration from significant architectural structures such as Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque, the Atatürk Cultural Center (AKM), the Arab Mosque and the Molla Zeyrek Mosque, the curated selection symbolizes our evolving cultural and architectural memory, much like the ever-changing stone textures of these buildings throughout the years.
Tuğçe Diri's latest exhibition “Underneath The Stones; Moment and Archive” reimagines Istanbul's memories by looking beyond the city's surface, intertwining past and present.
