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The Black Pen
 

Bloc Projects Sheffield. The Black Pen by Richard Bartle

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DEMONS SHOW OF FORCEDEMONLARIN KUVVET GÖSTERİSİ2021 110CM X 145CM ACRYLIC ON CANVAS DEMON STEALS A MANİNSAN KAÇIRAN DEMON2020121cm x 73cmACRYLIC ON CANVAS EXCITED DEMON UYARAN DEMON 2020 120CM X 69CM ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
DEMONS TAKE A SICK DONKEY İKİ DEMON HASTA BIR EŞEĞİ GÖTÜRÜYOR 2019 112CM x 152CM ACRYLIC ON CANVAS DEMON STEALS A MAN İNSAN KAÇIRAN DEMON 2020 121cm x 83cm ACRYLIC ON CANVAS DEMONS CUT A TREE AĞAÇ KESEN DEMONLAR 2021 113CM x 152CM ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
DEMONS DANCE DEMONLARININ DANSI 2021 75CM x 162CM ACRYLIC ON CANVAS DEMONS HAVING FUN EĞLENEN DEMONLAR 2020 69CM x 149CM ACRYLIC ON CANVAS TWO DEMONS AND A MONGOLIAN KNOT MOĞOL DÜĞÜMÜ VE İKİ DEMON 2021 77CM x 104CM ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
FIGHTING DEMONS DALAŞAN DEMONLAR 2020 85CM x 104CM ACRYLIC ON CANVAS DEMONS TIED AND BEING TIED BAĞLAYAN VE BAĞLANAN DEMONLAR 2021 82CM x 115CM ACRYLIC ON CANVAS DEMON STEALS A HORSE AT KAÇIRAN DEMON 2021 86CM x 67CM ACRYLIC ON CANVAS
DEMONS TWISTING THREAD İPLİK BÜKEN DEMONLAR 2021 85CM x 92CM ACRYLIC ON CANVAS SACRIFICE SCENE KURBAN SAHNESI 2021 65CM x 166CM ACRYLIC ON CANVAS DEMONS DRINKING AND PLAYING MUSIC İÇKİ İÇEN ÇALGI ÇALAN DEMONLAR 2020 64CM x 97CM ACRYLIC ON CANVAS

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The Black Pen - Bloc Projects. Sheffield 2021

The Black Pen Project is the third and final series of paintings inspired by my life in Istanbul and the demon paintings of 14th century artist and storyteller Siyah Kalem, also known as The Black Pen. 

Siyah Kalem’s work first came to my attention in the exhibition Turks: a journey of a thousand years, 600–1600 at the Royal Academy in London in 2005. These amazing and idiosyncratic illustrations depicting the lives and beliefs of nomadic communities along the silk road, traversing the borders of Iran, Turkey, China, and Mongolia during the Middle Ages, so captivated my imagination that they set me on a 15-year journey of creativity, research, and discovery.

Over the many years working with Siyah Kalem my passion for Turkish and Middle Eastern culture has grown exponentially, specifically around the works of the Miniaturists. Resulting in several artists' residencies in Turkey, three important solo exhibitions in Istanbul, two international biennials, several art fairs, and most significantly, my ambitious and popular exhibition Nomadic Tales at The Millennium Galleries, Sheffield, in 2020.

The Black Pen Project is a series of new painting which consciously re-presents social and political imagery I observed on the streets of contemporary Istanbul to create my own personal take on the images of the Siyah Kalem. This imagery includes iconic political figures, graffiti, and architecture, as well as individuals I encountered along the way. The work explores where the historic and contemporary meet, creating new meaning in the continuing journey of the life and work of The Black Pen.

 

 
 

Bloc Projects Sheffield. The Black Pen by Richard Bartle

 

 

 

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