First Contact

Cem Sonel

Born in Ankara, Turkey in 1985, Cem Sonel completed his undergraduate education at Hacettepe University Faculty of Fine Arts, graduating with a BA in graphic design. In 2009, he co-founded the street art collective KÜF Project, realizing a dream of his and the opportunity to keep working in the environment of his choice. Sonel was accepted into the master’s program in sculpture at Hacettepe University in 2014. Sonel’s artworks have been exhibited in events and institutions such as Berlin Art Week, Contemporary Istanbul, Sónar Festival in Istanbul, and 48 Stunden Neukölln in Berlin. He has organized workshops on street art in many universities of Turkey, and was the first artist in Turkey to exhibit a semi-digital mural. In 2022, Sonel held his first solo exhibition, “One and Zero Makes Two,” at Anna Laudel Gallery in Istanbul. Submitted by Anna Laudel