Wintermusic

Collaborations present seven new paintings by Evren Tekinoktay. Completely classic paintings made utterly different. They are painted laterally reversed on plexiglass. That way, you will be introduced to what could traditionally be called the “back”. Strokes, texture, and distractions are removed from your experience of the artwork. You are left with the colors and shapes – and that is more than enough to create new textures and dynamics.

On plexiglass, there are consequences for your choice, as it cannot be redone. You can not cheat. If it’s on the painting, then it’s on the painting. Therefore, it is fair to say that these artworks are closer to the sketch and the original thought. Stringent/arbitrary. Wild inside and controlled on the outside. So is Evren.

We are leaving you in a rather authentic moment with the artist. And from now on, it’s up to you – of course. Still, we would like to ask for a piece of your time to go on an adventure in Evren’s outer and inner surroundings. In this narrative, we experience precise shapes, open landscapes, and Evren’s unique color palette. It makes sense to look into a life that is lived a bit laterally reversed. Because that’s your life too.

These paintings are personal narratives for Evren. And thus, they will be interpreted entirely personally for the one who looks into them; it’s the everyday adventure of a winter we all shared. Different and foreign, loaded with limitations, but also new possibilities. We found our way through the cold by reaching out for our memories. No memory is neither too big nor too small – memories for everyday use without unambiguous ownership. Suddenly we could remember places we had never been before, people we had never met, and music we had never heard. This winter, we acknowledged the new with our stomach and with our heart … and at last with our eyes. The surroundings reflect our emotions. Her flair for the expressive keeps us all connected. By that, winter got its music. 

Evren Tekinoktay (b. 1972) lives and works in Copenhagen. She graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1999. Before Evren studied at the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam (1993-97) and at the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht (1997-99). In 2003-13, Tekinoktay ran the lingerie store Tekinoktay in central Copenhagen as part of her artistic work. In 2011, she received the Danish Arts Foundation 3-year work grant. Tekinoktay has participated in several group and solo exhibitions, primarily in London, Istanbul, and Copenhagen.