Defne Tesal
About
Defne Tesal was born on April 8, 1985 in Istanbul, Turkey. Tesal graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University with a BA degree in Stage and Costume Design in 2009, and completed her MA degree at St. Joost School of Art & Design in the Netherlands in 2019. Additionally, she attended ‘artist in residence’ programs at the School of Visual Arts, New York and KulttuuriKauppila Art Center, Finland.
Known mostly for her drawings, embroideries and site-specific installations; the artist enriches her portfolio with stop-motion animations, puppet making and illustrations. At times she works with colorful yarns on fabric to portray landscapes in an abstract manner, at other times she draws without letting her mind decide, spontaneously and as a reaction to the sound she hears.
At the foundation of the artist’s works which examines time lies movement based on repetition. Additionally, Tesal sees her artifacts as a stance against the current time that constantly consumes and wears people out. She aims for her works to communicate with the audience, and especially in her installations she intends for an interactive relationship between the space, the artwork and the audience.
Tesal continues her work and life in Istanbul, Turkey.
