Vahap Avşar

Voicing dissidence through a range of mediums, including painting, installation, photography, and found artifacts, Vahap Avsar examines the human cost of unchecked political authority and oppressive regimes. Much of his art turns a critical eye towards Turkey’s recent troubled history and, as in the video piece Tekmil (2010), draws on his experience during compulsory national service. He also probes international turmoil and institutionalism, frankly attempting to expose the faults of established power structures. In his oil on canvas painting W.T.C. (2010), for example, he depicts intense smoke and flames billowing from the crumbling World Trade Center in a style reminiscent of J.M.W. Turner’s The Burning of the Houses of Parliament (1834-1835). In his series “Walmart” (2008), Avsar painted still lifes of household products,challenging viewers to consider the intrusive effects of branding.