Selin AYDINOL Istanbul, 1994

In the studio - Antwerp, 2020

In 2016, Selin Aydinol moved from Istanbul to Antwerp. Three years later, in 2019, she received her master's degree in painting from the Royal Academy of Antwerp. Her first exhibition, "Omg Is Pink The New Black?" was curated by Spank Moons. She then participated in the "To Be Antwerp" exhibition at Geukens en De Vil Gallery and "Zonder Kunstenaars Geen Kunst" at Muhka, a group show featuring Chantal Akerman, Fred Bervoets, Ria Pacquée, and others. Selin also participated in the "De Nieuwe Garde" exhibition by Kunst in Huis at Zuiderpershuis for Antwerp Art Weekend 2021, and most recently, the Affordable Art Fair Brussels 2023.


Selin creates abstract paintings using acrylic and lacquer on panel. She begins with a figurative image, which she then makes abstract by gridding it. Each section of the image becomes a separate painting as Selin paints them. She was inspired by her childhood experiences of moving frequently, changing schools and neighborhoods, and having to learn new rules and habits of each place to integrate into it. She believes that changing countries is similar, and one needs to learn and integrate to coexist.


The figurative image Selin draws at the beginning is a metaphor for a new place or neighborhood or country. Gridding the image represents the rules, laws, and habits of that place. Painting each section represents the idea that one person cannot represent a whole neighborhood, one neighborhood cannot represent a whole country. Wherever you go, you will face similar negativities. To stay in a place, you must discover what's good around you. Selin believes that the act of painting is a way of discovering what's good in where you're living.

Artistically, by turning a figurative image into several abstract paintings, Selin wants to emphasize on how much she values abstraction. She paints each piece to make them beautiful enough to hang alone, even though that piece used to belong to a bigger picture. She is very attracted to abstract art. However, she still doesn’t quite get why an abstract image affects her the way it does. This mystery inspires her to make these kinds of works. Selin also believes that as opposed to figurative paintings, abstract paintings have more room for interpretation and expression. 


Selin also paints on canvas and paper, sometimes more figuratively than abstract. She doesn’t want to limit herself by having only one method. She wants to explore further and challenge herself with new attempts.

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