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Karen Arakel’s Solo Exhibition “ARAQEL” is at Gallery 77’s Karaköy Building!


Galeri 77 is proud to present a peerless artist to art enthusiasts. Karen Arakel is unrivaled in interpreting different movements from the past to the present with techniques such as ink, pen, charcoal, oil paint, tempera on wood and watercolor, and creating portraits, landscape paintings, still lifes and graphic works. Arakel’s rich world can be seen in Galeri 77’s space in Karaköy, between November 11th and December 12th, with further contributions from the collectors.

It is impossible to talk about Karen Arakel’s body of work without referring to certain periods in art history and to the aesthetics of different civilizations. Likewise, his art has been formed and has gained unique significance through an in-depth study and analysis of art. The artist tries to not only comprehend merely formal representations of pictorial and dimensional characteristics of the arts of the past, but also permeates into their causes and preconditions. He tries to figure out who was the person that created the artwork, to feel his spirit, perception, peculiarities of his mindset. In quest of their ego and personal vision, every artist embarks on personal research and finds inspirations. The path chosen by Karen Arakel is uncommon, for he is in no rush to become recognizable, to find his own style and have an accomplished technique. Open to influences, the artist simultaneously and conscientiously identifies and defines the arts, periods and artists who are close to him in spirit, artistic approach, vision, and aesthetic ethos. Encounters with cultures of different eras and exploration of issues these cultures raise becomes an important tool in finding the clue to his own creativity. For this purpose, the artist has examined and analyzed many different movements and styles such as Dadaism, Symbolism, Abstract Expressionism, Surrealism, Post-Surrealist Modernism in addition to Archaic, Hellenistic, Classical and Renaissance arts over the years, and ultimately produced works with his own interpretation. Karen Arakel’s approach of seemingly looking towards the past but taking a step forward, is also one of the most important reasons for the variety of style the artist has developed.

Karen Arakel’s works reflect various guises of the allegory of nature, sometimes enlivened with human figures. The artist merges ordinary and incredible images, illusion, and visual experience close to or distant from the predictable border. By creating different horizons, he couples them with human beings or animals that ignore the laws of optical perspective and the earth’s gravitational force. Dreams, premonitions, introspection, humanistic primal instincts, joys, inner fears, their pure unadulterated integrity, and the use of various allegorical allusions and symbols have been the subject of the artist’s meticulous works.

Signing his works under the moniker ARAQEL, the artist thoroughly investigated the pictorial arts of different countries, honing his skills and mastering various graphic and drawing techniques, including Sumi-e, also known as the ink wash painting style originating from Japan and China, which he has synthesized with Western modern art, forming the basis of his oeuvre. Furthermore, having a full command of the oil painting technique, Karen Arakel also specializes in the “tempera” technique on wood, which is very difficult to apply because it dries very quickly and shows any imperfections immediately.

Furthermore, you can also visit the exhibition as a three-dimensional virtual tour. For your own virtual tour experience, please click the link below.

https://www.dreamreality.com.tr/3d-model/karen-arakel-araqel…

Online catalogue:
https://www.galeri77.com/dosyalar/galeri77_karen_arakel_ARAQ…

Karen Arakel
“ARAQEL”
November 11 – December 12, 2021
Visiting Hours: Monday to Saturday, 10.00-18.00

Venue: Galeri 77, Hacımimi Mah. Necatibey Cad. Sakızcılar Sok. No:1/E Karaköy 34425 Beyoğlu, İstanbul, Turkey
Contact: +90 212 251 27 54

 info@galeri77.com | www.galeri77.com


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