YÜKSEL ARSLAN

Yüksel Arslan’s artistic practice is shaped by the concept of arture – a term he coined by combining the French word ‘art’ with the suffix ‘ure’ used to create nouns denoting a process or condition (such as peinture or écriture). This concept describes a distinctive mode of production in which painting and writing are inextricably intertwined. Arslan creates his works using mixtures derived from organic and everyday materials, including plants, soil, tobacco juice, blood, urine and soap, fundamentally rejecting conventional artistic processes and market-driven conditions. His use of these materials constitutes a radical critique of the commodification of art: rather than employing commercial paints, he utilises the raw substances of the body and the natural world. Guided by an encyclopaedic approach, Arslan explores the human condition from prehistory to the present day. Working with the sensibility of an artist, thinker and poet/illustrator, he examines human nature, desire and cultural evolution across a broad spectrum, from mythology to psychology. Offering an archaeology of thought rather than merely a visual language, Arslan’s works invite viewers on a journey through humanity’s collective memory – both biological and intellectual – while redefining the creative act through the raw data of life and the body.

CV