Sarı Deniz Balığı / Yellow See Fish

Mahir Kurtulan

Born in İzmir in 1978, Mahir Kurtulan’s artistic foundation was established at Dokuz Eylül University, where he studied Traditional Turkish Arts. His early fascination with stylized mythological figures evolved into a sophisticated inquiry into the relationships between figure, surface, and space. This academic background provided the conceptual bedrock for an interdisciplinary career, eventually leading him to integrate the structures of textile design into his fine arts practice. For nearly two decades, Kurtulan has harmonized industrial production with artistic research, focusing on sustainability. In his view, fabric is an integrated whole where repetition, rhythm, and material recycling become physical manifestations of artistic thought. A significant shift occurred during his graduate studies at Marmara University in 2016, where he specialized in Asian ink painting. By investigating Eastern traditions, he began to explore the contemporary possibilities of abstraction through the tension between spontaneous stains and disciplined control. This dialogue transformed his approach to pictorial space, leading him to treat the surface as a site of temporal experience. Today, Kurtulan’s work is characterized by an interplay of layering and transparency. Utilizing transparent papers, fabrics, and canvases, he creates "stain-like" structures that render concepts of time and memory visible. Nature and traditional imagery are never directly represented; instead, they emerge as evocative traces. Through this refined aesthetic, Kurtulan reflects on the inherent fragility and resilience of natural forms, presenting the surface as a living structure that embodies interaction and continuity.