Çiğdem Menteşoğlu, an artist who has journeyed from Istanbul to Europe and now lives and works in Newcastle, England, is on the move. She feels like a nomad, even when working in her studio. The process of moving is a process of navigating uncertainty in an unstable world, and of changing consciousness about places along the way.

Employing traditional media like oil paint and ink, Çiğdem’s experience of place imbues her creative process with emotion and maps. “My work is based on personal history; every work has its own story exploring the notion of boundaries, both physical and emotional.”

Dünyaevi/Wedlock, 2014, 60×50 cm, oil on canvas

Themes in Çiğdem’s paintings emerge from psychology (both sensation and perception) and philosophy (aesthetics) which underpin the visual mystery and power of memory’s associative realm.
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