Published On: 2026-07-01 09:00:00
An Aesthetic Matter of Borders (Berfin Bahar Dergisi)
An Aesthetic Matter of Borders Uğur Kocager ;
The modernization story of Turkish painting is largely a story of transcending borders. In the early years of the Republic, artists were sent to the workshops of figures like André Lhote, foreign experts were invited to Turkey, and an attempt was made to construct a new visual language. This situation was as much an expression of the desire to integrate into the international art world as it was a struggle for aesthetic transformation. Today, however, this form of relationship has taken on a different character. The issue is no longer just about receiving education in central hubs; it is about putting art production itself into international circulation, becoming visible in different contexts, and establishing one's own visual voice in a global public sphere.
Ayşe Bayram’s recent solo and group exhibitions in London and Venice can be read as one of the current examples of this transformation. It is also clear from the artist's recent exhibition schedule that this visibility is not accidental. Following her solo exhibition titled Beyond the Mask, Behind the Self, held at Versus Arts in London in 2026, Bayram opened her second solo exhibition at Espacio Gallery; in the same year, she participated in the international exhibition organized by The Holy Art in London and the group exhibition titled Parallel Traces at Espacio Gallery. Furthermore, her inclusion in the Venice International Art Fair organized by the ITSLIQUID Group demonstrates that the artist's production is beginning to gain visibility not only in local art circles but also on various international platforms. This exhibition traffic, which has developed along the London and Venice axis particularly over the last two years, points both to the opening of Bayram’s practice to international circulation and to the mobility of Turkish artists within contemporary art networks.
At first glance, Bayram's paintings appear to be woven with images of psychology, the subconscious, and the inner world. Partly due to the fluid nature of watercolor, the often indistinct boundaries of the figures and the dreamlike atmosphere direct the viewer straight into an introspective reading. The works are seen to be associated with dreams, the subconscious, and the fragmented structure of identity. However, Bayram's paintings should not be evaluated solely as representatives of a psychological realm. These images simultaneously generate broader questions regarding how identity is constructed in today's world, how borders are experienced, and how the subject redefines themselves. In this regard, the title of the exhibition Beyond the Mask, Behind the Self, held in London and curated by İlayda Uzunarslan, is particularly striking. The relationship between the mask and the self turns into a recurring theme in Bayram's work. The figures frequently appear as incomplete individuals; as entities in transformation, dissolving, or reconstructing. So much so that at times faces melt into water, bodies fragment, and the various parts constituting identity become visible. These figures seem to point to a constantly negotiated existence rather than a fixed essence. The striking point here is that the physical boundaries in Bayram's figures are never definitive. Watercolor stains transcend the lines of the body, colors spill beyond the figure, and the distinction between the human and their environment becomes blurred. The figures in the paintings emerge as subjectivities that continually lose and re-establish their own boundaries. At this point, it should be noted that this state of the figures forms a successful collaboration with the artist's choice of watercolor. Bayram's figures produce an aesthetics of being in transition rather than belonging to a specific place. On the other hand, it must also be noted that these figures remain somewhat isolated and contextless.
This visual language takes on a different meaning when considered alongside the increasing permeability of national borders, cultural affiliations, and social identities in today's world. Therefore, an interesting parallel can be established between the artist's gaining visibility in international exhibitions in recent years and the thematic world of her works. Just as the figures in Bayram's art emerge by transcending their own boundaries, the artist's production also transcends its local context to join new circulation networks. What is truly important is that the works carry this very experience of circulation at the level of content. For example, in the work titled Mind Theater: Who Holds the Strings?, the central figure is depicted as a subject directed by invisible forces. The smaller bodies surrounding the figure and the hands controlling them prompt thoughts on the individual's position against social expectations, cultural norms, and external authorities. Similarly, the work Subconscious Migration directly evokes the idea of movement, transition, and transformation. The migration here can be read not only as geographical but also as a mental and emotional migration. The images used by the artist thus bridge individual experience and social processes. An important aspect of Bayram's paintings emerges at this very point. Rather than presenting identity as a fixed and integrated structure, the works treat it as a constantly reshaping process. This approach also overlaps with discussions on mobility, belonging, and plural identities that are gaining increasing importance in contemporary art. Without establishing a directly political discourse, the artist demonstrates the fundamental tensions of the contemporary world through the fragility of the figure.
In the early period of the Republic, Turkish artists turning towards Europe was seen as an indicator of modernization. Today, the issue is somewhat different. As in Bayram's case, artists intervene in the contemporary world's debates on borders, identity, and circulation with their own visual languages. Ayşe Bayram's paintings, starting from the depths of individual the subconscious, ultimately leave us face-to-face with a much broader question: Where does a person define themselves? Within a border, or in transition zones where borders are constantly eroded?
The modernization story of Turkish painting is largely a story of transcending borders. In the early years of the Republic, artists were sent to the workshops of figures like André Lhote, foreign experts were invited to Turkey, and an attempt was made to construct a new visual language. This situation was as much an expression of the desire to integrate into the international art world as it was a struggle for aesthetic transformation. Today, however, this form of relationship has taken on a different character. The issue is no longer just about receiving education in central hubs; it is about putting art production itself into international circulation, becoming visible in different contexts, and establishing one's own visual voice in a global public sphere.
Ayşe Bayram’s recent solo and group exhibitions in London and Venice can be read as one of the current examples of this transformation. It is also clear from the artist's recent exhibition schedule that this visibility is not accidental. Following her solo exhibition titled Beyond the Mask, Behind the Self, held at Versus Arts in London in 2026, Bayram opened her second solo exhibition at Espacio Gallery; in the same year, she participated in the international exhibition organized by The Holy Art in London and the group exhibition titled Parallel Traces at Espacio Gallery. Furthermore, her inclusion in the Venice International Art Fair organized by the ITSLIQUID Group demonstrates that the artist's production is beginning to gain visibility not only in local art circles but also on various international platforms. This exhibition traffic, which has developed along the London and Venice axis particularly over the last two years, points both to the opening of Bayram’s practice to international circulation and to the mobility of Turkish artists within contemporary art networks.
At first glance, Bayram's paintings appear to be woven with images of psychology, the subconscious, and the inner world. Partly due to the fluid nature of watercolor, the often indistinct boundaries of the figures and the dreamlike atmosphere direct the viewer straight into an introspective reading. The works are seen to be associated with dreams, the subconscious, and the fragmented structure of identity. However, Bayram's paintings should not be evaluated solely as representatives of a psychological realm. These images simultaneously generate broader questions regarding how identity is constructed in today's world, how borders are experienced, and how the subject redefines themselves. In this regard, the title of the exhibition Beyond the Mask, Behind the Self, held in London and curated by İlayda Uzunarslan, is particularly striking. The relationship between the mask and the self turns into a recurring theme in Bayram's work. The figures frequently appear as incomplete individuals; as entities in transformation, dissolving, or reconstructing. So much so that at times faces melt into water, bodies fragment, and the various parts constituting identity become visible. These figures seem to point to a constantly negotiated existence rather than a fixed essence. The striking point here is that the physical boundaries in Bayram's figures are never definitive. Watercolor stains transcend the lines of the body, colors spill beyond the figure, and the distinction between the human and their environment becomes blurred. The figures in the paintings emerge as subjectivities that continually lose and re-establish their own boundaries. At this point, it should be noted that this state of the figures forms a successful collaboration with the artist's choice of watercolor. Bayram's figures produce an aesthetics of being in transition rather than belonging to a specific place. On the other hand, it must also be noted that these figures remain somewhat isolated and contextless.
This visual language takes on a different meaning when considered alongside the increasing permeability of national borders, cultural affiliations, and social identities in today's world. Therefore, an interesting parallel can be established between the artist's gaining visibility in international exhibitions in recent years and the thematic world of her works. Just as the figures in Bayram's art emerge by transcending their own boundaries, the artist's production also transcends its local context to join new circulation networks. What is truly important is that the works carry this very experience of circulation at the level of content. For example, in the work titled Mind Theater: Who Holds the Strings?, the central figure is depicted as a subject directed by invisible forces. The smaller bodies surrounding the figure and the hands controlling them prompt thoughts on the individual's position against social expectations, cultural norms, and external authorities. Similarly, the work Subconscious Migration directly evokes the idea of movement, transition, and transformation. The migration here can be read not only as geographical but also as a mental and emotional migration. The images used by the artist thus bridge individual experience and social processes. An important aspect of Bayram's paintings emerges at this very point. Rather than presenting identity as a fixed and integrated structure, the works treat it as a constantly reshaping process. This approach also overlaps with discussions on mobility, belonging, and plural identities that are gaining increasing importance in contemporary art. Without establishing a directly political discourse, the artist demonstrates the fundamental tensions of the contemporary world through the fragility of the figure.
In the early period of the Republic, Turkish artists turning towards Europe was seen as an indicator of modernization. Today, the issue is somewhat different. As in Bayram's case, artists intervene in the contemporary world's debates on borders, identity, and circulation with their own visual languages. Ayşe Bayram's paintings, starting from the depths of individual the subconscious, ultimately leave us face-to-face with a much broader question: Where does a person define themselves? Within a border, or in transition zones where borders are constantly eroded?