Merve Iseri

A skilful colourist in her own right, Merve Iseri (Istanbul, 1992) makes paintings that draw on personal and archetypal allegories. Sev Kardesim (2020/21) - titled after a traditional Turkish song - is a semi- figurative painting featuring two mysterious figures that seem engaged in some kind of unknown ritual against a background of expressive brushstrokes and flecks of vibrant colour. The work was started just before last year’s first lockdown, and was only completed this Spring; the contrasting mood of the dark background and the colourful specks of paint perhaps reflecting the psychological changes experienced during this challenging year. Iseri is also present in the exhibition with a collection of small ink drawings, which she has been making daily over the past few months. These intuitive, humble, and precious little images have a diaristic quality, almost like records of different moods or interior landscapes which sometimes coalesce into recognisable images, other times becoming purely abstract, flux of consciousness impressions.