Seçil Erel

Seçil Erel is an internationally known, London-based, Turkish-British artist with studios in London and Istanbul.

She was born, and raised in Istanbul. She focused on researching and continuing in her career as an artist after studying in Mimar Sinan Fine Art University Painting Department for her bachelor and master degrees and where she collaborated with individuals, institutions and corporates. She has participated in numerous international group exhibitions, solo exhibitions, symposiums, workshops and artist residency programs. She moved to London with the belief that she would add more value to her life and work. After she set up her artist studio she got a scholarship from the London Creative Network and the

EU, and studied Artist Business Development. She became a part of the international artist movement Artist Support Pledge in the UK and founded the Turkish Language version to support them under 'Sanatçı Destek Birliği' during the Covid19 pandemic.

She designed workshops during the pandemic to support communities to help them to find their inner creativity.

Seçil gives the audience the experience of multiple thinking and sensation in her large scale, modular work, where colour is dominant, and multi-layered dense textures overlap. Her paintings seek the spaces, which develop various perspectives and awareness, and are adapted to the artist's possible motto of everything.

She is always interested in reframing life and work through art and creativity.

Seçil says about her work. My creations are based on modular, layered, abstract paintings. I am known for my large-scale pieces but I also use various sizes and techniques for all my different series. I craft my paintings with harmony, metronomic repetition, movement, colour, light, contrast, and balance. In each piece, I aim to incorporate physical, mental, emotional and spiritual integrity.

Inspired by mathematics, my paintings are based on modularity and perceived systematic structure. However, emotions, and feelings are dominant in the process. This started off with my personal experience of finding and transcending myself and my way of life, which I build on change and various perspectives. Situations come through being here and now, and concepts of time and space are formed in my visual language. The compositions are open, multi-faceted, portable, dynamic and changeable. They are formed by a loop constructed by units on the surfaces. Therefore, my style of production consists of boundaries that protect their centre. In my works, process and the energy of the present moment are at the forefront and the most fundamental feature is to adapt to changing conditions. In this way, contrary to the result, it has the chance to renew itself in flowing time and changing space. My work turns into the energy of the moment with the visual language I choose.

CV
www.secilartstudio.com
@secilsstudio
secilartstudio@gmail.com

Born in Istanbul,
Lives in London.

EDUCATION
Mimar Sinan Fine Art University MFA Institute of Social Science Painting 2004-2007
Mimar Sinan Fine Art University BFA in Painting 1999-2003

ART RESIDENCIESNCIES
La Maison de Barbara, Ayvalık, Turkey 2016
Trelex Residency, Geneva, Switzerland 2015

SOLO EXHIBITIONS
A Separate Reality Gallery Milli Reasurans, Istanbul 2019
Possibilities Work at the Yard, New York 2017
Bird’s Eye View Siyah Beyaz Gallery, Ankara 2016
Territory Gallery Zilberman, Istanbul 2014
Simple Present Tense CDA Projects, Istanbul 2011

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS & PROJECTS
Abstraction Rise Art, London, 2020
99 Squares Art On Gallery, Istanbul 2018
Collection ABCC, London 2018
Rebuild KA Consultancy, Istanbul 2018
Interstices Art Else Where, Stour Space Gallery, London 2017
Collection Farplas Art Space, Istanbul 2017
Schnittstelle Istanbul Eller Kultur Bahnhof, Dusseldorf 2017
Imago Mundi Mediterranean Route, Palermo 2017
Artificial Nature Schloss Neersen Gallery, Dusseldorf 2017
As Is Gallery Merkur, Istanbul 2016
Multiples Kuad Gallery, Istanbul 2016
20th Anniversary Milli Reasurans Art Gallery, Istanbul 2015
Trelex Art Residency Open Studio and Exhibition, Geneva 2015
Nothing Exceptional Gallery Konrad Moenter, Dusseldorf 2015
Small is Beautiful Kuad Gallery, Istanbul 2014
Topology PG Art Gallery, Istanbul 2014

ODTU Art 14 ODTU, Ankara 2013
The Initial Home - Leia AlanIstanbul , Istanbul 2012
Now I Am Not Here Kervansaray, Istanbul 2011
Contemporary Istanbul’10 CDA Projects, Istanbul 2010
Exhibition of the Century Collection of T.C. Ziraat Bank, Cer Modern, Ankara 2010
Cold Elements Akademililer Art Center, Istanbul 2010
Young Expansion Contemporary Turkish Art, Pera Museum, Istanbul 2005
Multicultural Idendity, Cultural Heritage, Art, Image, Ankara & Eskisehir 2005
Taste Is Bank Parmakkapı Art Gallery, Istanbul 2002
The End Personal Studio Space, Istanbul 2001

AWARDS
Artist of The Year Award by Farplas 2016
RH + Young Artist /2008, Private Award 2009

SYMPOSIUM & WORKSHOPS
Pivotal Moments Symposium, LCN, London 2018
Boll Werk, Lepsien Art Foundation, Dusseldorf 2015
Training program With Sarkis, Istanbul Modern Museum 2009
Summart Campus, Moldova 2009
Litography Workshop, Aksanat, Istanbul 2004

Borusan Exlibris Studio, Istanbul 2002

ARTIST TALKS
United Nation Women Entrepreneurship Day, Aksoy Holding, Istanbul 2016
“As Is”, Speakers: Seçil Erel, Emre Zeytinoğlu, Gallery Merkur, Istanbul 2016
“Territory", Speakers : Seçil Erel, Fırat Arapoğlu, Gallery Zilberman, İstanbul 2014

PUBLICATIONS
A Separate Reality , Text: Fatoş Üstek, Milli Reasürans 2019
Seçil Erel Artist Book, Text: Emre Zeytinoğlu, IMOGA 2016
Malerei, Text: Jutta Saum, Galerie Schloss Neersen 2016
Bora Collection, Summart 2015
Imoga Mundi, Istanbul Codex, Benetton Foundation 2015
Territory, Text: Fırat Arapoğlu, Gallery Zilberman 2014
Simple Present Tense, Text: Emre Zeytinoğlu, CatalogueCDA Project 2011
Exhibition of the Century”, T.C. Ziraat Bank 2010