Gazi Sansoy comes from an established family known for their involvement with political satire during the late Ottoman Empire. Inspired by his satirist grandfathers, Sansoy created his unique critical painting approach and considered as one of the few sharp and witty satirists of his time with his multilayer works, criticising late Ottoman cultural heritage as well as West European civilisation and visual arts.

“Nude and Covered Up Tales / Arabex” includes the works of the artist produced between 2008-2010 that combine the photos taken by him or the images he saw in various media channels with his own painting techniques. In “Who are we?” , Sansoy blends contemporary human figures with Levni’s miniatures, the famous painter of the Tulip Era in Ottoman History and in “Faceless” , inspired by post-Renaissance West European painting, the artist presents that tradition with a contemporary and fresh point of view. The artworks in these two sections are produced simultaneously between 2010-2015 and followed by “Divine Milk” and “ Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow, Istanbul, Dervishes” series in which Sansoy makes references to his family history.

In addition to the political criticism embedded in his works, Sansoy remarkably stands out with his absurd interventions applied in traditional painting techniques, inviting the viewer to think and reconsider the classical history of art.

The exhibition will also feature a short video portrait of Gazi Sansoy, filmed by Balamir Nazlıca . Nazlıca is a photographer, video artist and composer, filming video portraits of contemporary artists in their studios under the name of “Unconcealment”. Sansoy’s portrait will aim to see through the eyes of the artist and his mood in the moment of his artistic calling without any intervention. “Unconcealment” films of Nazlıca presents the poetic journey of the artists, unconcealing their artistic spirit.