Interview
Cengiz Yatagan
Cengiz Yatağan was born in 1968. He finished his education in Istanbul before moving to Australia, where he was involved in businesses for two years. He has worked in the architecture, construction and IT sectors. After specializing in renovation of historic buildings, he started to focus on art.
From 2018 to date, Cengiz has shown his work in several exhibitions in Istanbul, Paris, Miami and London. Cengiz currently lives and works in Istanbul.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“My name is Tahir Cengiz Yatağan. Art has always existed in my life. I used to attend art events frequently to satiate myself with art. While working in the construction and renovation industry, I started to paint as a hobby and found that it cheered me up. I took every opportunity I had to paint, using construction materials. I have never painted with a paintbrush.
Painting has become a tool that colors my soul. It feels like therapy. I paint with joy and reflect my soul on canvas. Every artwork I create is better than the previous one. I continue to paint, and I am always improving.”
What inspires you most?
“Life inspires me the most. Art is not that different from life. Everything you go through in life nourishes you and provides growth. You assimilate these experiences and transfer them into reality. It doesn’t matter how you transfer it - what matters is your expression, and that it is comprehensible.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“My artwork is about the spirituality of soul and life. I don’t have any references or political opinions. You can see the life in my work; its beginning, growth and ending in a modern and abstract way.”
“As an artist that assimilates the notion of inner and personal expression, I think that to create unseen art with just my emotions and experiences is important. Creating is like starting a new journey and being open to further discovery.”
How would you describe your work?
“My work is a reflection of myself, you can call it my shadow. I enjoy every moment of life and observe it, so that I can transfer the refined events into my work. I really connect with this process. I do this using my body language, my hands. I don’t think about immortalizing my life or resisting life’s limitations, I don’t have such egocentric thoughts. I prefer to live in the moment and express the emotion of the moment spontaneously through my work.”
Which artists influence you most?
“There are artists that I like. I may be inspired by them, but I don’t think I am influenced by any artist. In my opinion, to create an artwork through being influenced by other artists is just copying.”
What is your creative process like?
“When I have time, about 4-5 hours to paint, I go to my studio, regardless of my mood at that moment. While I am painting, I prefer to be alone in the studio. I choose the music according to my mood that day, and then I spontaneously start to paint or sculpt. As I progress, my painting starts to move away from my thoughts, and begins to reflect my emotions and feelings.
I use a material called epoxy, a material that I have created. I mix different materials together to create this unique material. Epoxy dries fast, and that is perfect for me because I am impatient. I can’t paint one artwork for months or years. If I stop the unfinished work and continue the following day, the wholeness of the work will be disrupted, since I paint with my expressions in that moment. That is why my work is completed within 4-5 hours. I also finalize my therapy process, having transferred all I wanted from my inner world into my work. This is an exhausting process, and when I complete my work, I feel tired and need to rest.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Every person has an artistic side. The important thing is to discover it and bring it into a concrete form. Artists are like guides to other people. They can show people how to love art and life, and make them face their skills and capabilities. A healer, a doctor, a guide - it doesn’t matter because once people start being interested in art, it is not possible for them to have a negative attitude towards life. Art is where you start to pursue the beauty and sincerity of life.
Imagine a world full of people who create art; there would be nothing but beauty. I hope one day everyone can include art in their lives so they can beautify and purify themselves.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“2021:
Saatchi Gallery, TA Turkish Art Week, London.
İC Contemporary in Lütfü Kırdar, İstanbul.
Antropause, a group exhibition at Artcontact Yenikapı Show Area, İstanbul.
No-Prescription II, a group exhibition at Gallery Ekavart at the Ritz Hotel, İstanbul.
Gallery Sonia Monti Winter Selection in Paris.2020:
Reflections Of The Sky at The Brick Lane Gallery, London.
The Skin Project at ITSLIQUID Canvas İnternational Art Fair, London.
Elements, group exhibition at Macakizi Bodrum Loft.
Galeri Kambur in Arnavutköy, İstanbul.2019:
CONTEXT art Miami.
Saatchi Gallery, Start fair, London.
CI Contemporary Istanbul.
Artweek Akaretler, group exhibition, İstanbul.2018:
Artweek Akaretler, group exhibition, İstanbul.
‘Immortality’ Curator: Tima Jam, group exhibition in Adahan İstanbul .
‘Tekamül’ solo exhibition in Piyalepaşa, Istanbul .2017:
‘40 Nefes’ solo exhibition, Istanbul .
2012:
‘Ruloylamala’ solo exhibition at Levent Loft, Istanbul.”
