Biyografi
The works of Çınar Eslek are about the possibilities of the body, as a complex existence to experience and be experienced, to think and be thought, to position itself and be positioned. The artist, mainly through autobiographical references, ponders on the forces of the body to exist and be exposed to action while following the traces of bodily movement as a dependent component of space. She focuses on the issue of representation -with all the metaphorical meanings it includes- of the whole range of bodies, the transformation of beings, their borders and our ways of understanding them. While searching for strong attitudes in those fearless, uncontrollable, sometimes isolated and hybrid bodies who make use of art, she also discovers how how they are affected by exterior elements and by each other.
Through her use of media such as canvas, photograph, video, three-dimensional installation and, lately, fabric, she proposes uncanny image abstractions with a macro perspective. Her works which originate in her subjective universe reach a wider range of problematics and find poetic ways to refuse what is conventional.
Eslek who works and produces in İstanbul received her undergraduate degree in painting in Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts and earned her Master’s degree with the thesis entitled “Transformation of Bodily Pain as an Experience into a Work of Art”. She won the “Borders and Orbits” award (2006, Siemens Art), 26th “Artists of Today” award (2008, Aksanat) and İstanbul Rotary Art Award (2011). She participated to “Cité des Arts” residency program in Paris. Her works have been included in several press articles, tv broadcasts, festivals and private collections. Over the years, she has had solo shows and group exhibitions in art galleries such as Pi Artworks, Pg Art, Kasa Gallery, Bilsart, Koç Museum, Mixer Gallery, Martch Art Gallery, Rem Art Space, Zilberman Gallery to name a few. She has attended renown art events in Turkey which include Çanakkale Biennial, Istanbul Biennial, Mardin International Biennial, Istanbul Contemporary Art Fair and Art Weeks but also participated to international events, namely, Fresh Paint Contemporary Art Fair in Tel Aviv, Imago Mundi in Palermo, Art Thessaloniki International Contemporary Art Fair in Thessaloniki, and several other shows in Seoul, Skopje and Strasbourg.
Eslek, who is looking for ways to cooperate and to “co-ferment”, has brought together artists, directors and writers within the project “Ak-sayanlar”, which she has been preparing for the Art Unlimited magazine for the last two years. Additionally, together with curator and art critic Yekhan Pınarlıgil, she is the co-creator of the XXY article project, in which she focuses on stories about the body. In 2022, Eslek joined The Alternative Art School Platform, with the support of Saha, an association founded to assist artists working in visual arts in Turkey to strengthen their ties and interactions with international art networks. At The Alternative Art School Platform, she took the course entitled “All the World’s A Stage” by Nato Thompson, which focused on how art meets the public. Designed as both a lecture and a practice-based seminar, Thompson’s course provided Eslek with the opportunity to join workshops and present various forms of her art, as well as getting a deeper knowledge on several subjects such as interventionist art, community art, public art and problematics such as art across difference. She also joined a course by Amber Eve Imrie entitled on “Artists on Social Media”, which took the form of a workshop and which questioned the ontology of being an artist on social media while exploring the inner dynamics of the medium, as well as its effect on power structures and creativity.
Eslek was also one of participants of the İstanbul Biennial in 2022. Crip Magazine, a self-published magazine and a platform for ideas, with 80% of its contributors identifying as disabled, which aims to overturn ableism, categorization and the capitalist view of bodies, welcomed Eslek as a painter and speaker. In the same year, she published the art book entitled Karabasan (Incubus) together with Yekhan Pınarlıgil. She lastly participated to the exhibition Present in the Void organized by Istanbul municipality which focused on the relationship between art and space, the sound, the light and the city.
ACADEMIC
2007 - 2011
Marmara University, Institute of Fine Arts, Istanbul
Painting, MFA, İstanbul
1998-2006
Mimar Sinan University Faculty of Fine Arts
Painting, İstanbul
SOLO SHOWS
2015
‘’Koyaanisqatsi’’ PGArt Gallery, İstanbul
2013
‘’Away from Clarity'’ Pi Artworks Gallery, İstanbul
2011
‘’Besides" Pi Artworks Gallery, İstanbul
2010
‘’Therefore’ Pi Artworks Gallery, İstanbul
2009
‘’Parallel Lands’ Pi Artworks Gallery, İstanbul
2008
‘’I Am Unaware’ Pi Artworks, İstanbul
GROUP SHOWS
2022 ''Exist İn Space'' Taksim Gallery, Curator:Derya Yücel
2020 ''Show Me Colour''Kasa Galery, Curator:Yekhan Pınarlıgil
2019 ''Bashibazouk IV'''Ekavart Galery
Curator Kerimcan Güleryüz
2019 Artweeks, Akaretler, Empire Project
2019 ''Flesh and Bone'' Bilsart,
Curator:Kevser Güler
http://www.bilsart.com/kurator-kevser-guler-sanatci-cinar-eslek
2018
http://canakkalebienali.com/en/__trashed-3/
Before The Past-After The Future
6.İnternational Çanakkale Biennial
Artists:Adrian Paci, Agnes-Meyer Brandis, Akın Aksu, Cem Demir, Hertog Nadler, Çınar Eslek, Deniz Sağdıç, Derviş Zaim, Emre Zeytinoğlu, Fani Zguro, Ferhat Özgür, Georgios Katsagelos, Guy Ben Ner, Hayri Esmer, Hülya Özdemir, Jakob Gautel, Janis Rafa, Jason Karaindros, Josephine Turalba, Katrin Korfmann & Jens Pfeifer, Krassimir Terziev, Larissa Sansour & Søren Lind, Mehmet Erim, Nancy Atakan, Nazlı Gürlek, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Pınar Yolaçan, Serhat Kiraz, Servet Koçyiğit, Seydi Murat Koç, Seyhan Boztepe, Tufan Baltalar, Ugo La Pietra, Yeni Anıt
Curator: Seyhan Boztepe, Deniz Erbaş
2018
‘’Blue Hotel’’ İstanbul İnternational Contemporary Art Fair
Conrad Istanbul Bosphorus
Artists: Ani Setyan, Kirkor Sahakoğlu, Çınar Eslek,Levent Morgök, Tan Polatoğlu, Ayça Ceylan
Consultant: Ayşegül Sönmez
2018
‘’’Night Notes March Art Project, İstanbul
Artists: Çınar Eslek, Fulya Çetin, Furkan Akhan, İlhan Sayın, Sadık Arı
https://www.facebook.com/martchartproject/photos/a.184231292156825/224820824764538/?type=1&theater
2018
‘’The Animal Side’’ Mixer Gallery, İstanbul
Artists Sadık Arı, Fulya Çetin, Sinem Dişli, Ece Eldek, Didem Erbaş, Çınar Eslek, Eda Gecikmez, Hatice Çiçek, Ata Kam, Huri Kiriş, İhsan Oturmak, Gümüş Özdeş, Mert Öztekin, Deniz Pasha, Ekin Saçlıoğlu, Ahmet Sarı, İlhan Sayın, Yusuf Sevinçli ve İrem Sözen
Curator: Ahmet Ergenç
https://www.mixerarts.com/the-animal-side
2017
‘’Ay Kocaman At Kara’’ Türkiye Jokey Kulübü, İstanbul,
Special Video Screening 8 Mart ,Women’s Day
Consultant: Ayşegül Sönmez
2017
Fresh Paint Contemporary Art Fair, Tel Aviv, İsrail
Artists: Melis Buyruk, Elsa Ers, Çınar Eslek, Reysi Kamhi, Ayşe Gül Süter, Kemal Tufan
2017
"Imago Mundi","Imago Mundi – Mediterranean Routes", Palermo, İtaly
2016
Art Thessaloniki International Comtemporary Art Fair, Selanik, Yunanistan
Artists: Ahmet Albayrak, Kerem Ozan Bayraktar,Corey Bond, Melis Buyruk, Manolya Çelikler, Elsa Ers, Çınar Eslek, Reysi Kahmi, Mehmet Sinan Kuran, Devran Mursaloğlu, Hale Güngör Oppenheimer, Günnur Süter, Ayşe Wilson
https://pgartgallery.com/filter/fuarlar/Art-Thessaloniki-2016
2016
İstanbul İnternational Contemporary Art Fair, İstanbul, PGArt Gallery
Artists: Jak Baruh, Kerem Ozan Bayraktar, Melis Buyruk, Elsa Ers, Çınar Eslek, Reysi Kamhi, Yonca Karakaş, Mehmet Sinan Kuran, Devran Mursaloğlu, Hale Güngör Oppenheimer, Günnur Özsoy, Ayşe Gül Süter, Candaş Şişman, Kemal Tufan ve Ayşe Wilson
2016
‘’A Sharp Cliff After A Shoft Landing’’ Rem Art Space ve Gaia Gallery, İstanbul
Artists: Ali Miharbi, Ani Setyan, Burçak Konukman, Çınar Eslek, Elif Süsler, Emre Zeytinoğlu, Erdem Ergaz, Ferhat Özgür, Gözde İlkin, Serda Çamlı, Vahit Tuna, Yasemin Özcan, Yıldız Çintay
Curator: Mehmet Kahraman
http://www.gaiagallery.com/exhibitions/a-sharp-cliff-after-a-soft-landing/
2015
İstanbul İnternational Comtemporary Art Fair, İstanbul, PG Art Gallery
Artists: Baruh, Kerem Ozan Bayraktar, Melis Buyruk, Elsa Ers, Çınar Eslek, Reysi Kamhi, Yonca Karakaş, Mehmet Sinan Kuran, Devran Mursaloğlu, Hale Güngör Oppenheimer, Günnur Özsoy, Ayşe Gül Süter, Candaş Şişman, Kemal Tufan ve Ayşe Wilson
2015
‘’The Dust Of Time’ Rem Art Space, İstanbul
Artists: Çınar Eslek, Çağrı Saray, Maik Armstrong, Metehan Özcan, Nermin Er, Sırma Doruk, Uygur Yılmaz, Uygar Demoğlu
Curator: Mehmet Kahraman
https://www.facebook.com/events/144655132540125
2015
‘’Weltschmerz’’ 42 Maslak Art!SPACE, İstanbul
Artists: Candaş Şişman, Çınar Eslek, Devran Mursaloğlu, Jak Baruh,Kerem Ozan Bayraktar, Yonca Karakaş
Curator: Pırıl Arı Konmaz
https://pgartgallery.com/Weltschmerz
2014
‘’Dilemma’’ Mixer Art Gallery, İstanbul
Artists: Burçak Konukman, Çınar Eslek, Erdal İnci, Gülşah Bayraktar, Kerem Ağralı, Ozan Türkkan, Saniye Dönmez ve Tuba Yalçınkaya.
Curator: Mehmet Kahraman
http://kolajart.com/wp/2014/01/13/dilemma-mixer/
2014
İstanbul İnternational Contemporary Art Fair, İstanbul, PGArt Gallery
Artists: Jak Baruh, Kerem Ozan Bayraktar, Elsa Ers Brosh, Çınar Eslek, Reysi Kamhi, Yonca Karakaş, Devran Mursaloğlu, Hale Güngör Oppenheimer, Günnur Özsoy, Ayşe Gül Süter, Candaş Şişman, Kemal Tufan ve Ayşe Wilson
2013
‘’The Way We Were’’, CDA Project, Zilberman Gallery,İstanbul
Artists: Ruti Sela-Maayan Amir, Burçak Bingöl, Çınar Eslek, Serkan, Demir, Shaun Gladwell, Ahmet Elhan, Mustafa Kula, Franticek Klossner, MANON, Serkan Özkaya, Kazım Şimşek,Yuan Shun ve Roi Vaara
Curator: Ferhat Özgür
https://www.zilbermangallery.com/oldugumuz-gibi-e120-tr.htm
2012
İstanbul İnternational Contemporary Art Fair, İstanbul, Piartworks Gallery
2012
"Encounters" Turkish Contemporary Art in Korea, Ararat, SEOUL
2012
Sexpression”, Association of Fine Artists of Macedonia and N.U. Museum of Contemporary Art, Skopje, MACEDONIA
Artists: Ruti Sela-Maayan Amir, Burçak Bingöl, Çınar Eslek, Serkan, Demir, Shaun Gladwell, Ahmet Elhan, Mustafa Kula, Franticek Klossner, MANON, Serkan Özkaya, Kazım Şimşek,Yuan Shun ve Roi Vaara
Curator: Derya Yücel
2011
“Uncanny Encounters, İstanbul Modern,
Artists: Silva Bingaz, Banu Cennetoğlu, Çınar Eslek, Zeren Göktan, Zeynep Kayan ve Melisa Önel
Curator: Çelenk Bafra
https://www.istanbulmodern.org/en/exhibitions/past-exhibitions/uncanny-encounters_59.html
2011
İstanbul İnternational Comtemporary Art Fair, İstanbul, Piartworks Gallery
Artists: Turan Aksoy ,Volkan Aslan, Nancy Atakan, Çınar Eslek, Susan Hefuna, Mustafa Horasan, Juan Botella Lucas, İrfan Önürmen, Nejat Satı, Ahmet Sel, Gülay Semercioğlu,Tunca Subaşı, Mehmet Ali Uysal, Ayten Turanlı
2011
Koç Museum, İstanbul
Artists: Neda İsmail, Çağdaş Erçelik, Çınar Eslek, İhsan Oturtmak,Abdülkerim Bozan, Batural Cırık, Bahadır Çolak, Meryem Denizkıran, Özge Enginöz, Çigdem Gökçen, Engin Konuklu, Ezgi Nadir, Mehmet Örs, Seranay Özen, Gülfidan Özmen, Derya Özparlak, M.Cevdet Teksen, Işıl Ulaş,Y.Bahadır Yıldız, Ezgi Yüksel
Curator: Başak Şenova
https://www.istrotarysanat.com/2012_yarisma_sergi.html
2011
Art Beat İstanbul, Pi Artworks Gallery, İstanbul
Artists Nejat Sati, Volkan Aslan, Ayten Turanlı, Çınar Eslek
2010
İstanbul İnternational Comtemporary Art Fair, İstanbul, Piartworks Gallery
Artists Volkan Aslan, Nancy Atakan, Çınar Eslek, Susan Hefuna, Mustafa Horasan, Juan Botella Lucas, İrfan Önürmen, Nejat Satı, Ahmet Sel, Gülay Semercioğlu, Mehmet Ali Uysal, Ayten Turanlı
2010
‘’AbbaraKadabra’' Mardin İnternational Biennial, MARDİN
Artists: Adrian Paci, Ahmet Müderresioğlu, Alen Floricic, Alina Viola Grumiller, Arzu Başaran, Ben Rivers, Bertrand Ivanoff, Burak Bedenlier, Canan Budak Canan Dağdelen, Chloe Brown, Çınar Eslek, Daisy Frossard, Devran Mursaoğlu,Erdağ Aksel, Erdal Duman, Eset Akçilad, Fatih Tan, Ferhat Özgür, Gani Llalloshi,Goran Skofic, Gül Bolulu, Gülay Semercioğlu, Hakan Irmak, Heike Weber, ,Helene Kazan, Hondartza Fraga, Hussein Chalayan, Hülya Özdemir,Kezban Arca Batıbeki, Lale Delibaş, Lawrence Weiner,Levent Morgök, Margaret Salmon,Matthias Schamp,Maurizio Pellegrin, Mehmet Ali Uysal,Mehmet Çeper, Mithat Şen,Mladen Stilinovic, Necmettin Tarkan, Nezaket Ekici, Nurullah Görhan,Osman Kerkütlü, Özgür Önürme, Richard Bartle, Sarah Jane Palmer,Sen Williams,Selim Birsel, Serhat Kiraz, Serkan Demir, Shaun Gladwell, Su Yücel, Tomur Atagök, Tony Kemplen, Twin Gabriel, Ursula Mayer, Vlatka Horvat, Yeni Anıt
Curator: Döne Otyam
2010
‘’Chaotic Metamorphosis, Proje 4L Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art
İstanbul
Artists: Can Aytekin, Elif Çelebi, Çınar Eslek, Murat Germen, Genco Gülan, Gözde İlkin, Bahar Oganer, İrfan Önürmen, Ferhat Özgür, Ekin Saçlıoğlu
Curator: Burcu Pelvanoğlu
http://elgizmuseum.org/tr/?page_id=1125
2010
‘’Cold Element’’ Beyoğlu Akademililer Sanat Merkezi, İstanbul
Artists: Ercan Akın, Ali Elmacı, Seçil Erel, Çınar Eslek, İsmet Değirmenci, Burcu Perçin, Coşkun Sami, Şevket Sönmez, Serkan Yüksel, Semih Zeki
2009
İstanbul İnternational Contemporary Art Fair, Pi Artworks Gallery, İstanbul
2009
St - Art 14th European Contemporary Art Fair, STRASBOURG
2009
“(Very) Small Distortions in the Order", 28th International Istanbul Film Festival, Video Screening, Aksanat, İstanbul
Curator: Yekhan Pınarlıgil
2008
Sınırlar ve Yörüngeler 04, Siemens Sanat, İstanbul
Jüri: Ahu Antmen, Levent Çalıkoğlu, Mürteza Fidan, T. Melih Görgün, Marcus Graf, Berika İpekbayrak, Borga Kantürk, Gülsün Karamustafa, Alp Yörük
Artists: Seçil Alkış, Güler Aşık, Sena Başöz, Kerem Ozan Bayraktar, Çınar Eslek, Cemile Kaptan, Sema Kayaönü, Selin Kocagöncü, Elif Öner, Ayşe Topçuoğulları
Curator: Mürteza Fidan, T. Melih Görgün
2008
"Do Not Ask Why", Hafriyat Karaköy, İstanbul
Artists: Erkin Gören, Çınar Eslek, Sevil Tunaboylu
2007
‘"Place We Walked Pass’’ Cadde Bostan Cultural Center, İstanbul
Artists: Elçin Poyraz, Şeref Erol, Çınar Eslek, Mustafa Akkaya, Ani Setyan, Ceyhun Konak,
Curator: Emre Zeytinoğlu
2007
‘’Sobe’’ Bilsar Building, Galerist, İstanbul
Artists Melis Ağazat, KOP-ART, Semiha Balcı, Banu Birecikligil, Çınar Eslek, Karolin Fişekçi, İnci Furni, Minna Henriksson, Gözde İlkin, Burçak Kaygun, Gülşah Kılıç, Gül Kozacıoğlu, Tamsin Morse, Ceren Oykut, Gökçe Süvari, Güneş Terkol, Elif Uras, Nalan Yırtmaç, Pınar Yolaçan ve Gökçen Cabadan:
Curator: Leyla Gediz
2006
25. Contemporary Artists Exhibition
Akbank Sanat, İstanbul
Artists Ardan Özmenoğlu, Burcu Yağcıoğlu, Yener Pınarbaş, Mehmet Vanlıoğlu, Mahbube Akar, Ahmet Albayrak, Bahar Arı, Hülya Bakkal, Bengisu Bayrak, Nevin Berkay, Bülent Bulduk, Ufuk Doğan, Çınar Eslek, Tamara Fleming, Betül Güney, Hatice Karadağ, Ayce Kartal, Altuğ Katmer, Nazlı Eda Noyan, Esra Oskay, Arzu Otto, Yasemin Özkaya, Seval Şener, Özlem Uzun
Jury ve Cüratör: Hasan Bülent Kahraman
2005
City of London College, ISTANBUL
PRIZES
2011
İstanbul Rotary Art Award
Jury: Ayşegül Sönmez, Başak Şenova, Can Elgiz, Haşim Nur Gürel, Prof. Kaya Özsezgin, Özalp Birol, Nural Denker Turgay Ağralı
Curator: Başak Şenova
2008
Borders & Orbits
Simens Sanat Galery, İstanbul
Jury: Ahu Antmen, Levent Çalıkoğlu, Mürteza Fidan, T. Melih Görgün, Marcus Graf, Berika İpekbayrak, Borga Kantürk, Gülsün Karamustafa, Alp Yörük
Artists: Seçil Alkış, Güler Aşık, Sena Başöz, Kerem Ozan Bayraktar, Çınar Eslek, Cemile Kaptan, Sema Kayaönü, Selin Kocagöncü, Elif Öner, Ayşe Topçuoğulları
Curator: Mürteza Fidan, T. Melih Görgün
2006
25. Günümüz Sanatçıları Sergisi
Akbank Sanat, İstanbul
Artists: Ardan Özmenoğlu, Burcu Yağcıoğlu, Yener Pınarbaş, Mehmet
Vanlıoğlu, Mahbube Akar, Ahmet Albayrak, Bahar Arı, Hülya Bakkal, Bengisu
Bayrak, Nevin Berkay, Bülent Bulduk, Ufuk Doğan, Çınar Eslek, Tamara
Fleming, Betül Güney, Hatice Karadağ, Ayce Kartal, Altuğ Katmer, Nazlı Eda
Noyan, Esra Oskay, Arzu Otto, Yasemin Özkaya, Seval Şener, Özlem Uzun Contemporary Artists Exhibition
Sanat, İstanbul
Jury ve Curator: Hasan Bülent Kahraman
REZİDENCE
CİTE DE ARTS,Paris
