Painting & Printmaking School of Fine Art

Misra Balkan (She/Her)

Fluidity covers all ground, circular motions create an organic dynamic between four concrete edges, softening and expanding. The forms are starting to create an existence and the imitation of something known occurs within the action, transformation. Closer the view gets a reminiscence of a cell dividing and reproducing; then the object starts to shrink with a glimpse of a distance – the smaller it gets, the universe expands. Unusual forms metamorphose into bodily substances, dissolves into each other then frees itselves apart from each other. Solidarity ends and interaction begins. An opportunity for a conversation is now rising within and without these four concrete borders. These mutated, human-like creatures are telling us a story, creating their own narratives through experiences that seem quite familiar, a known reality from an abstracted view.
Even though the characters that are portrayed seem to be referring to humans, they are deformed, broken apart, altered, mutated, metamorphosed and positioned in despair from carrying all the pain caused by survival. Then we look at their appearances to see the conflict risen by the dependence to the other, not being able to hide the heaviness of the situation, lacking the only emotion that we humans are so pressured by the society to feel at all times; so proud of their shamelessness,they appear as unusual,disturbing though somehow as natural as a heart beat.These boneless, fluid silhouettes who are always situated in an action or some sort of transformation are forcing us to face the crises we create and live in, mirroring our tragic reality through their own struggles by drowning in tears of emotions. An absurdity hidden in phallic spaces and grotesque bodies lost within their own existential crisis.
My practice intends to invite the viewers to alienate, deform and create alternative realities through bright colours and queer composition though at the same time, it also refuses customary time and space. That’s why my work tends to exist in a limbo between autonomous feelings and calculated rational- ism. Despite the heavy expressionism filled with emotions and the extreme fluidity of figuration, there is always a socio-political responsibility that continues to dominate the atmosphere which takes us back to our violent and cruel lives, revealing the buried traumas to face with our most haunted nightmares.
The bodies that are forced to exist together are actually complaining for their addiction and dependencies on each other rather than the hatred they carry within. The fight and dissatisfaction state they exist in are towards the strict borders we are crushing under. Though maybe, focusing on the absurdity of individuality in this chaos will help us to discover alternative ways to escape these tragedies.

Contact
misrabalkan@gmail.com
M.Balkan1@student.gsa.ac.uk
@misrabalkan.art
Works
Degree Show
A pat on the wrong back
The Theft of Something Dear
Like a fish out of water
Twisted
A Fish

A pat on the wrong back

A pat on the wrong back

oil on canvas 180x160 cm 2023
For Sale: Price on Request

The Theft of Something Dear

The Theft of Something Dear

oil on canvas handsewn stuffed fabric frames 180x160 cm 2023
For Sale: Price on Request

Like a fish out of water

Like A Fish Out Of Water

oil on canvas handsewn stuffed fabric frames 205x120 cm 2023
For Sale: Price on Request

Twisted

Twisted

oil on canvas 2 pieces, 120x90 cm each 2023
For Sale: Price on Request

A Fish

A Fish

oil on canvas handsewn fabric frames 105x87 cm 2023
For Sale: £800