Artist Akın Ekici, in the 20th personal stop of his pictorial journey, invites the viewer to encounter not the architecture of cities, but their soul. Titled “Unfinished Things: Supremacy in Fractals”, this special exhibition was unveiled to art enthusiasts on May 6, 2025, at Teşvikiye Galeri Işık with an opening ceremony marked by high attendance.

The exhibition is curated by Prof. Dr. Uğur Batı, a multifaceted academic known for synthesizing systematic thought with artistic expression. In this showcase, the artist’s layered, spatula-based technique—refined especially in recent years—skillfully penetrates fractal structures and abstract urban imagery.

Over 40 Works, Layered Narratives

The exhibition features around 40 works, including oil paintings, batik art, special prints on silk, metal serigraphs, and most notably, elements of modernized Islamic calligraphy, all contributing to a rich and multidimensional artistic presentation.

In the Words of Uğur Batı:

“Akın Ekici uses the spatula not merely as a tool, but as a language in itself. He goes beyond thick, incidental textures and delivers millimetric precision with the same technique. This makes him a rare artist on a global scale. In his works, the fractal structure of thought converges with mathematics, architecture, and the psychology of cities.”

Cities Speak Through Their Texture

For Ekici, cities are not just physical spaces—they are living organisms composed of memory, meaning, rhythm, and color. In his works, he renders this spirit visible through abstract geometric structures and rhythmic color vibrations:

“The texture of Istanbul is not merely about its skyline—it’s about the lived experiences accumulated in its labyrinthine streets. I chose to depict this experience through fractal loops and layered textures. A painting gains power not when it’s completed, but when I realize it cannot be completed.”

A Creative Space Enriched by Artistic Collaboration

This exhibition not only reflects individual expression but also embraces a collaborative spirit. Ekici opens up his process to collective narratives by working with artists from various disciplines:

• Classical calligraphy works initiated by İsmail Hakkı Gurbetçi are integrated with Ekici’s textured layers, resulting in powerful interdisciplinary pieces.
• Abstract compositions by Gülen Turan are completed with Ekici’s vibrant overlays, embodying the idea of “two signatures on a single canvas.”
• Mina Aydoğan’s batik works are directly inspired by and connected to the content of the exhibited paintings.
• Collaborations with Hayrettin Susam in silk, chardonnay, serigraphy, and metal printing techniques stand as rare examples of how traditional forms can intersect with contemporary artistic presentation.

“This exhibition is, in fact, a small-scale collective effort; a formation where each artist opens space for another, and aesthetic boundaries are redefined together.”
— Akın Ekici

The Philosophical Ground Stretching from Suprematism to Fractalism

The concepts of “Supremacy” and “Fractals” featured in the exhibition’s title present not only an aesthetic but also an ontological and philosophical proposition.

Suprematism, pioneered by Kazimir Malevich, embodies the understanding of pure feeling and abstraction.
Fractalism references the repetitive, infinite patterns of nature and the mind.

Ekici merges these two movements with themes of contemporary urban life and individual memory, transforming his paintings into a visual field of thought.

Visit Information

📍 Location: Teşvikiye Galeri Işık
📅 Date: May 6 – 19, 2025
🕒 Visiting Hours: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM (Closed on Mondays)
🎟️ Admission: Free

This exhibition is not just a visual feast but a contemporary narrative space where emotion, thought, and technical multi-layeredness converge. As the artist puts it:

“It was an expressive space where I spoke through my colors, reacquainted myself with the city, and united the rhythm of the past with the geometry of the present. I hope the viewer finds a layer of their own within it.”