"Opart" Drawing

Suleyman Gingi was born in Nicosia, Cyprus, and completed his High School studies at Nicosia Anatolian Fine Art School at Nicosia. After the graduation continue his art education in London Metropolitan University. When he graduated BA Fine Art (Painting) course he decided to do MA Fine Art Education in a same university. Gingi believed if he do master, he can develop hisself in this field and play an important role in modern art. Suleyman believe he can give back to the society and improve life quality of others though his artwork. Currently he is a MA student at London Met. In 2012 he has opened his first solo exhibition in Cyprus, at Ataturk Culture Center. ARTIST STATEMENT My paintings contain childhood memories, though every memory is an unfinished construction, in which reminiscences are the mix of reality, illusions and wishes. That is why my paintings follow an aesthetic of imperfection, where the spectator has to fill in the blanks by travelling back in their memory and exploring the forgotten images of their past. My country’s myths and legends have played a big role in my art practice. Legends are the tools connecting people to nature, to country and to communal culture. This is why so many events and monuments are honoured with a legend. The narrative of my paintings, as can be seen in the series Legends from the Cyprus, depicts subjective reality and my interpretations of the world. Each of my paintings depict my lived experience and each questions the nature of my own individual existence. My work has always been inspired by Salvador Dali and the Surrealist movement and retains a sense of these influences even as I develop my own artistic identity. Working with painting gives me the opportunity to explore ideas freely, producing an interplay of fantasy and reality. The paintings draw heavily from my childhood memory and the legends of my country that are summation of personal experiences in examining the culture of my birthplace. The narratives formed out of these journeys form significant elements of my paintings; introducing hints of wonder and imagination to the everyday world. I find my works the most honest and authentic when I create from a feeling or an image in my memory. I captivated by the idea of the impossible and believe anything is truly possible within painterly language and representation. Through my paintings I wish to pass to the viewer a moment of endless hope and serenity.