Hilmi Can Özdemir

Hilmi Can Özdemir (b. 1995, Eskişehir) takes the visual language of old analog photographs as his starting point in his painting practice. He reassembles collages created by bringing together different photographs through his own aesthetic sensibility, thereby constructing a reality that is authentic yet fictional. The oil paint he uses on large canvases transcends the documentary nature of photography, lending a theatrical depth to the painting. Özdemir’s approach is far from hyperrealism, but is based on a pictorial language that preserves the emotional intensity of realism. The artist’s works depart from the universality of art; they invite conceptual inferences through indirect symbols and staging. Objects and figures offer clues that invite the viewer’s own interpretation rather than a direct message. In Özdemir’s paintings, light evokes the dramatic effect of photography, while the freshness of colors and the constructed nature of the scenes create a timeless atmosphere.

After graduating from Eskişehir Fine Arts High School, the artist graduated from the Painting Department of Anadolu University Faculty of Fine Arts in 2018 and opened his first solo exhibition, “Paradoxia,” at Ambidexter Gallery in 2023. Özdemir, who has participated in various group exhibitions, continues his work in his studio in Eskişehir. He is represented by Ambidexter Gallery at exhibitions in Turkey and internationally.