[Gallery Walk] Mandala of Contemporary Art, Yalchundaeu's 'Original Abstraction'

Hakgojae Ekrem Yal?ında? Solo Exhibition 'Dance with Hands'
'Practice' Filling Canvas with 25,000 Brushes over 30 Years

Hakgojae Gallery in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, is hosting the solo exhibition "Dance with Hands" by Ekrem Yalcindag, a leading figure in contemporary Turkish art, as its final exhibition of the year.

Exrem Yalchundae's solo exhibition 'Dance With Hands' exhibition view. [Photo by Hakgojae]

Presented as the first solo exhibition in Korea and East Asia, his works propose artistic meditation and profound contemplation beyond mere visual pleasure.

Upon entering the exhibition space, visitors encounter Yalcindag’s iconic canvases. His representative work, "From Color to Color," at first glance appears as a bright and lively rainbow-colored painting. However, upon closer inspection, it reveals itself as the result of countless overlapping petal-shaped forms. Each petal was painted with a fine brushstroke, with more than twenty brushstrokes applied to each one. Tens of thousands of petals filling the canvas over 30 years with 25,000 brushes are traces of Yalcindag’s dedication to repetition and sublimity.

Ekrem Yal?ında?, Nature, 2024, Silkscreen, Oil on canvas, Woodblock, 135x110cm [Photo courtesy of Hakgojae]

Yalcindag’s works are filled with natural motifs such as cells, fingerprints, and flower petals. This is not merely an embodiment of beauty but rather a conscious practice by the artist to fill the voids in the world. The repetitive and intricate patterns in his paintings evoke modern mandalas, offering viewers a meditative experience.

A striking element in this exhibition is the image of the ‘circle’ within his works. Yalcindag repeatedly draws concentric and absolute circles, traversing the boundaries between Eastern views of nature and Western metaphysics. His circles are also interpreted as an homage to Kazimir Malevich’s "Black Circle," a master of 20th-century Russian abstract art. Yalcindag’s reinterpretation of Malevich’s minimalistic philosophy a century later transcends simple geometric shapes to explore the essence of humanity, nature, and the universe.

Ekrem Yal?ında?'s solo exhibition 'Dance with Hands' exhibition view.
[Photo by Hakgojae]

Yalcindag’s works stand out for their fusion of Eastern and Western artistic elements. He has established a unique artistic world by combining Western oil painting techniques and silkscreen with Eastern calligraphic brushstrokes. Some pieces in his series even incorporate actual leaves during the silkscreen process. This method reflects the artist’s philosophy of integrating nature, humanity, civilization, and primitivism within a single canvas.

Moreover, his experiments with color go beyond mere aesthetic exploration. Yalcindag regards color not as a decorative element but as an independent entity, capturing the essential energy and emotion of color on the canvas. The subtle shifts in color perceived on the canvas provide viewers with both a sensory and spiritual experience.

Ekrem Yalcindag.
Photo by Hakgojae

This exhibition not only introduces Yalcindag’s world to Korean audiences but also proposes an artistic dialogue between two cultures. During the same period, the Sevil Dolmaci Gallery in Turkey is hosting a solo exhibition by Korean artist Kim Hyunsik. These two exhibitions are expected to offer opportunities to explore each other’s cultural identities and aesthetic values through the works of representative artists from each country. The exhibition runs until the 28th.