mia-Art Exhibition Text

SELIN AYDINOL

°1994 Istanbul, Turkey

Lives and works in Antwerp, Belgium

The inspiration behind

Throughout her childhood, Selin moved homes many times, causing her to integrate into new schools and neighborhoods repeatedly. She left behind old friends and teachers, only to meet new ones again. As someone who always desired to live somewhere other than Turkey, Selin moved to Antwerp to complete her studies at KASKA. However, this change was a bigger transition than she had anticipated. With a new school, new friends, a completely different language and culture, she left behind her family and her previous life. It didn't take long for her to become depressed, as she harshly realized, what she was trying to escape from and what she had hoped to find were ever-present, no matter where she went. This experience taught her not to merely seek a better place, but rather discover the goodness in the place she was in. This lesson inspired her to develop her current artistic process.

The current process

In her process, Selin takes a figurative image and divides it into equal sections. For the artist, 'equal division' symbolizes the similar sociological and social problems that exist everywhere. Each piece from which she creates paintings represents different places. The random compositions that emerge from this division symbolize the laws, rules, and new systems of those places. She integrates into these systems through painting them, deciphering the layers, textures, and color combinations. Selin perceives this process as adding value. As she meticulously crafts each artwork to stand beautifully on its own, she uncovers the inherent goodness within, which for the artists is ‘the abstract’. In the end, every painting is unique, despite all being integral components of a greater whole.

The study beyond

By transforming a figurative image into abstract paintings, Selin emphasizes on how much she values abstraction. She is deeply drawn to abstract art. However, she still doesn't completely understand why an abstract image affects her the way it does. This mystery inspires her to create these types of works. Selin embraces the random compositions, viewing them as challenges to be made intriguing through the layers, colors, and textures she selects to apply.