Didem UNLU

"My work represents what I observe and experience; the human figure within a landscape or cityscape. Many of my paintings are based on photographs. I find them in magazines, newspapers or I take them myself. I adapt these images onto canvases or sometimes I paint directly on them. By this technique, I explore space-object relationships by recomposing them. I choose a photograph, than decide what is important in the image for me. If it is a figure in a garden for example, I keep the figure and change the environment or if the environment is my focus, I take out all other figures. If I am working on a photograph directly I make sure the photograph element is not lost completely. Sometimes I choose more than one photo and compose them in one. I usually use textured surfaces and strong black and white effects as light and shade to create a space and depth.

Rembrandt and Bacon's paintings give you a feeling of the 'staged', theatrical. It almost makes the viewer think that composition takes place on a stage with artificial lights being used. This creates the magic in their work. Hopper paints urban life and generally reflects the isolation. They take the story out of it's environment/context and put it on a stage. Rembrandt's paintings are light-shade paintings and he plays with light and shadow to create depth. On the other hand Bacon's paintings have flat surfaces and create the same effect by using high black-and-white contrast. Colours, light, movement and atmosphere, which I have experienced, and which often stay in my mind. Most of my work is produced in a series, which spread into the space of the gallery, giving a sense of continuation, movement or narrative. The viewer is encouraged to relate one image to the next." Didem Unlu 2005

Qualifications/training
1986 BA Fine Art Painting, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
Selected solo exhibitions
1997 Maltepe Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey
1996 Cafe Gallery, London
Selected group exhibitions
2004 Blackheath Gallery, London
2004 286 Gallery, London
2004 ACAVA Open, ACAVA Studios, London

Paintings