Hilal Kahveci

At the center of my practice is a state of contemplation on transience and transformation. In the works I create using oil paint and charcoal, I present images carrying spiritual meanings by blending them with a realistic language yet imaginary elements. My skull and butterfly series explores the contrast between the brevity of life and the weight of death. These works remind us that a life as short as a butterfly's carries a truth as heavy as a skull. Yet this reminder is not a mourning, but an awakening. I want to make visible the beauty hidden within the truth that all things are transient. In my works, I take care to use light that shines within darkness and dramatic shadows. Nourished by the theatrical atmosphere of Baroque painting, Caravaggio's use of light, and Rembrandt's psychological depth, these works bring together emotional intensity with a minimal approach. In my self-portrait series, where ultramarine blue is dominant, I wish to draw attention to the depth beneath the gaze; the viewer chooses for themselves what emotion they will see on the canvas. Oil paint gives me a sense of freedom; I work in an intuitive flow, thinking through brushstrokes. Starting from photographs, I always add elements from my imagination to my works, reconstruct reality through my own spiritual reading, and invite the viewer into this process of questioning as well.

Hilal Kahveci was born in 1999. She completed her art education, which began at Rize Fine Arts High School, by studying Painting Education as an undergraduate at Gazi University, followed by a master's degree in Graphic Design. She currently lives in Istanbul and runs her own art studio. Kahveci's artistic practice is shaped by oil painting and charcoal techniques. Her works revolve around spiritual themes where realistic imagery meets fantastical elements. The artist's best-known work is her series exploring the contrast between skull and butterfly imagery. In this series, she reflects on the transience of life and the beauty that transience carries, while making references to Baroque aesthetics through dramatic plays of light and shadow. In her self-portrait series, dominated by ultramarine blue tones, she focuses on the deep meaning reflected in the gaze. Having taught at a private institution for about a year in 2024, Kahveci currently gives private lessons at her own art studio in Üsküdar and organizes workshops for different age groups. Her identity as an educator continues to be an inseparable part of her artistic practice.