Merve Gurlek

My practice emerges from a lifelong dialogue with nature, rooted in a childhood spent between forests and a small garden. This early proximity to wildlife evolved into a sustained investigation shaped by zoology, mythology, and systems of belief.

Animal figures in my work function as symbolic thresholds rather than representations, questioning the shifting boundaries between human and non-human life. Through this lens, I explore how science, myth, and perception construct—and dissolve—our understanding of other living beings.

My technique introduces a perceptual instability: light, color, and form shift depending on the viewer’s position, transforming each work into a dynamic visual field rather than a fixed image. This constant state of transformation reflects the fluid structure of nature itself.

My practice is grounded in an ongoing “Birds Series,” comprising over 200 works, alongside explorations of instinct, transformation, and ecological interconnectedness.

Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts – Industrial Design

Selected international and national exhibitions include contemporary art events in Paris and various curated group shows in Europe and Turkey. My works have been presented in contexts focusing on contemporary painting and conceptual visual practices.