Defne Cemal on the dialogue between the brush and the canvas

Defne Cemal's first solo exhibition, "Nemli Mavi" is set to meet the audience at OG Gallery. In this exhibition, Cemal’s works allow the semi-transparent layers of pigment to interact over time, creating a balanced dialogue between the canvas and the paint. The 1997-born young artist, who has been featured in group exhibitions in leading cities like Paris, Berlin, and New York over the past years, continues her artistic journey and life in Istanbul after her studies in BFA Studio Art at New York University. "Nemli Mavi" Cemal's first solo exhibition, opens this week on September 5 at OG Gallery. The works showcased in "Nemli Mavi" allow the semi-transparent pigment layers to blend over time, creating a balanced dialogue with the canvas and paint. In these abstract pieces, where a single tone dominates, twisted aluminum panels accompany the canvases, adding a sculptural dimension to the painted surface. In addition to her creations, Defne Cemal, who has been running an art space called Kiralık Depo with painter Zach Hodges since 2021—providing visibility for foreign artists in Turkey—answered our questions about her first solo exhibition.

Cemal’s interview with Hülya Çelik in Turkish on Oksijen Newspaper can be accessed here.