Tayfun Erdoğmuş, 1958

Having graduated from the State Academy of Applied and Fine Arts, Department of Painting in 1979, Tayfun Erdoğmuş continued his education in Berlin. He also studied at the International Salzburg Summer Academy in 1991. He researches how nature can be transformed into an aesthetic and mystic work of art. His works encompass the traditional and the modern, nature and canvas, and are open to different readings. Erdoğmuş brings a new perspective to the established relationship between an artwork and nature. The artist collects leaves from various plants and trees, classifies them and leaves them to dry. He then compiles these elements by layering them up on the canvas after treating them with his unique technique using various chemical materials. He forms calligraphic features from the stem and veins of leaves, and produces images that resemble written characters, flowing horizontally in stripes.

In “Untitled,” nature is not an object of beauty to be imitated, but rather is transformed into part of the work itself. These large-scale compositions created over a long process are reminiscent of traditional “still-life” paintings that have been adapted with a contemporary approach. His works also follow the minimalist approach of making do with less.