About

Born in Ankara, Turkey. Illustrator, designer, lecturer, for detailed bio >

http://www.cda-projects.com/elif-varol-ergen-a153.html

About Art:
Having set – as a starting point – those moments of violence of children against their mother and father figures and
the child abuses frequently depicted in the media in the recent years, the artist interprets the states related to the before
and after of these frightening states in a narrative manner. Elif Varol Ergen has configured her first exhibition as parts
of a script in which a different fragment is told through each work. Originating from incognitus in Latin word “Incognito”
refers implicitly to the necessity of hiding the names of the little children subjected to violence and abuse.
According to the artist: “The severe reflections of the traumatic and merciless worlds of adults on the bodies and souls of c
hildren raise child characters living, but not being aware of it; suffering, yet mistaking it as disappointment and embarrassed
of their genders.” The characters in Ergen’s works transform into pitch-dipped strange entities and criminals with pale faces,
sharp teeth, shadows. The heavy dose, grotesque in the images, severe form deformations, sagging and melting forms merge and
blend with intensive contrasts in red and black. While the fragility and the repressiveness of the content could ease the viewers’
empathy, memories of the viewers maintain their dialogues with the works even after this experience.
The artist uses techniques such as acrylic, ink, silkscreening, digital imaging, mixed media,
CNC-machined productions and avoids constraining approaches during the production phase of the works.

CDA Projects Team

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012 ‘Incognito’, CDA Projects Gallery, Istanbul, Turkiye
LATEST GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2013 Art13 London, Olympia Grand Hall, London.
2012 Colorink Book ‘We’ve Got Issues’ Exhibition, WWA Gallery, Culver City, CA, USA.
2012 Contemporary Istanbul 7, Lutfi Kirdar Exhibition Center, Istanbul.
2012 ‘Abu Dabhi Art’ Contemporary Art Fair, Abu Dabhi.
2012 ‘Figure Out’ Contemporary Turkish Art, Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai.
2011 Contemporary Istanbul 6, Lutfi Kirdar Exhibition Center, Istanbul.
2011 ‘Untitled/Original’, CDA Projects Gallery, Istanbul.
2011 ‘Berliner Liste’ Art and Photography Fair, Trafo, Berlin.
2011 Istanbul Summer Exhibition, Antrepo 5, Istanbul.
2011 ‘Art Bosphorus 4’,  Istanbul Contemporary Art Fair, Istanbul.
2011 Vernissage of “TR21″ Poster Exhibition, Poland.
2010 ‘Closed’ Contemporary Art Exhibition, Gallery Kara, Ankara, Turkiye.
2010 14. Asian Art Biennial, Shilpakala Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
2010 33. FISAE International Exlibris Competition Exhibition, İMOGA, İstanbul, Turkiye.