Ekrem Yalcindag

Ekrem Yalcindag was born in Turkey, in 1964. He currently lives and works in Frankfurt-am-Main, Berlin and Istanbul. He began his art studies at Dokuz Eylül University (Izmir) in 1985, where he obtained his Master’s degree in 1993. From 1994 to 1999, he continued his studies at the Stadelschule in Frankfurt as a student of Hermann Nitsch and Thomas Bayrle. The defining elements of his artistic practice were already established at the beggining of his praxis: the abstract floral motif, the use of a thin zero brush in a thick layer of paint and geometric ornamentation are all elements that run through Yalcindag’s oeuvre. In the last years, he has been exhibited in well-known institutions such as Kunstforum Wien and MOMAD Dubrovnik.

Yalcindag’s painting is characterised by the impasto technique: he paints wavy factures in a thick layer of paint with a thin brush, so that the dynamics of the tiny grooves and elevations bring the geometric forms to life. In his most famous Tondo series, the vivid colors of everyday impressions of the big city are combined with a kinetic painting technique: the vibrant color harmony of repetitive circular shapes leads the viewer into a hypnotic state. In his latest Nature series, the screen-printed floral motifs and wood grain patterns are prominent, the decorative quality of which the artist breaks up with geometric elements. His works are in major public collections such as the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, Arthena Foundation, Düsseldorf and Museum Haus Konstruktiv, Zurich.