Alp Erdem Öz

Born in 1988 in Istanbul, Turkey, Alp Erdem Öz earned a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2013, followed by an MFA from Pratt Institute. By the use of different paint applications, various speeds and compositional breaks as means of expression, Öz sets up conditions for a narrative. His attempt is to make a painting that is in the state of becoming. He refers to a collection of photographs and found imagery before making any moves. In this sense, all paintings start as representational, but as soon as he starts painting he puts the source aside. The process becomes reactionary. Rags, stencils, squeegee, sanding paper and his hands are as valid tools as brushes and palette knives.