Elif Uras: The Source

Elif Uras’s first monograph and site-specific installation The Source, realized under the leadership of Galerist and as part of Kale Group’s 2018 project in support of ceramics in art, will be on view at a historic storefront in Istanbul between November 24 and December 30. Featuring a functioning ceramic fountain, a tiled wall, and new drawings presented in ceramic frames, Uras’s new body of work draws from various cultural references and explores ideas of shared heritage, hybridity and pluralism. Also presented onsite and edited by L. İpek Ulusoy Akgül, Uras’s comprehensive monograph looks at the artist’s practice from multiple perspectives.

Essays by internationally acclaimed writers Ahu Antmen, Amy Smith-Stewart, Kathy Battista and Merve Ünsal investigate critical issues around the feminist undertones of her works, how the artist utilizes “traditional” techniques in her ceramic objects, and how her unique patterning and ornamentation connect these works with her paintings. The publication also includes a conversation between the editor and the artist, and an extensive visual documentation of Uras’s works. Published in separate English and Turkish editions by Galerist Publishing, the monograph will be distributed internationally by Revolver Publishing.

Elif Uras lives and works in New York and Istanbul. Notable solo exhibitions include: Hayal Meyal (Galerist, Istanbul, 2016); Nicaea (Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Connecticut, 2015); Panorama Arcade (Galerist, Istanbul, 2008); The Occidentalist (Smith-Stewart, New York, 2007); and Private Collection (Kenny Schachter/ROVE, New York, 2004). Her works have also been exhibited at MoMA PS1, Salon 94, New York, 9th Shanghai Biennale, Pera Museum and Proje 4L/Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art.  Uras has a BFA from the School of Visual Arts, New York, a BA in Economics from Brown University and a JD from Columbia Law School. She received her MFA from Columbia University School of the Arts in 2003.

L. İpek Ulusoy Akgül is an independent editor, curator, and writer currently based in Istanbul. Most recently, she has consulted for editorial projects in English at SALT, Istanbul (2017–18) and acted as the Managing Editor of ArteEast Quarterly (2014–16). Having curated various exhibitions and public programs in New York, Istanbul, Dubai, and Doha, she also contributed to Artforum.com, Ibraaz, ArtAsiaPacific, m-est.org as well as exhibition catalogs and artist books. A Fulbright scholar, Ulusoy Akgül has an MA in Museum Studies from NYU.

Founded in 2001 in Istanbul, Galerist has established a reputation for nurturing the careers of emerging Turkish contemporary artists and introducing their work to a national and global audience. In addition to the ongoing exhibition program in Istanbul, Galerist continues to participate in prominent art events abroad, strengthening their position and network in the international art world.

Galerist’s bimonthly publication Art Unlimited has positioned itself as one of the country’s leading art magazines since 2006 and a key supporter of the growing contemporary art scene in Turkey. Other publications from Galerist include Semiha Berksoy Catalogue Raisonné (2017), Nil Yalter Monograph (2013), and Taner Ceylan: 1997-2009 (2011).

Since its establishment in 1957 as Canakkale Ceramic Factories Corporation, Kale Group has been a pioneer in Turkey’s ceramics industry, becoming an international giant with its investments in this sector. With a growing focus on design, technology, and the human element, one of Kale Group’s missions is to support art and artists, particularly those working with ceramics. Last year, Kale Group realized the first retrospective of distinguished ceramic artist Füreya Koral to commemorate the 60th anniversary of its founding. The comprehensive exhibition of works by Koral, the first contemporary ceramicist in Turkey, was considered to be one of the most acclaimed and visited exhibitions in 2017.

For all inquiries please contact info [​at​] galerist.com.tr