Levent Aygül
About
Biography
Levent Aygül was born in Istanbul in 1976. In 2003, He completed the MSGSU Painting Department Undergraduate Program. He graduated from MA in 2007 and graduated from proficiency in arts in 2016 again from MSGSÜ Painting Department. He is still working at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Painting Department Stained Glass Studio as academician. As he takes part as an artist in the "Shot Free" exhibitions that have been ongoing since 2012, he also takes part in its organization. He participated in many group exhibitions both with his stained glass works and paintings. Some of those group exhibitions: "Sketch State" in 2018 at Gallery 5 curated by Gizem Karakaş, “Pool” in 2016 at BantMag Mekan, ”Mulksuz_leş” in 2014 curated by Ali Şimşek at the 24th Tuyap International Istanbul Art Fair, "Air Pocket" in 2007 curated by Leyla Gediz at Galerist. In 2009, he opened his first solo exhibition "Winter Sleep" at Galeri Splendid. He continues to work in his studio in Istanbul.
Artist Statement
In my paintings, I build a combination of visuals that pass through my head and the data of my moments with a simple storytelling. Canvas painting and stained glass application are my basic methods in conveying these images. While I can create a sketch as a starting point, I can turn to a different composition than the work I originally designed. It is also possible to say that doing small size works enables to feel free. With the indistinct images on the surface of the canvas, I try to ensure that the viewer's gaze is spread to the whole composition, rather than fixing his gaze to a certain point. Not attracting the viewer to a single striking point means to me, a modest invitation to the whole painting. While presenting these indistinct images can be considered as there is little 'thing' to show, it can also offer the viewer a much richer space that he can complete in his mind when interpreting the work. As a result, instead of taking the social events as they are and approving or criticizing them, I try to convey my own individual world on the artwork with the help of plain language and humor as much as possible. The daily images that I paint are pretty ordinary beings in their own nature. It is belong to the viewer rather than me to ascribe a different meaning to the works. In my paintings, color do not create a hierarchy among contrast forms. Tone values are very close to each other. In my paintings while some images are expected to come to the fore in a striking way, ironically they are included in the composition with the simplest forms of their existence.
