Ebru Duruman was born in 1992 in Istanbul, Turkey. Currently lives and works in Geneva Switzerland. Graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, USA (2015). Participant of The Art Students League of New York, USA (2017-2019). Awarded Honorary Art Award, ENKA (Istanbul, 2011). Participated in a group exhibition in Peabody Essex Museum (PEM GALA), Boston, USA (2018). Solo and group exhibitions have taken place in the UK, USA, Turkey, France and Switzerland. Participated in the Frieze Art Fair, London (2022), The Armory Show, New York, USA (2023), Contemporary Istanbul, Istanbul (2023), Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong (2023, 2024).
Ebru Duruman was born and raised in a conservative environment in Istanbul, Turkey. A self-driven rebellious journey towards awareness and acceptance of her body led the artist to explore sexuality and the culture of love. The abrupt transition from her early works with clenched, lifeless figures to the liberation of the nude body shows Ebru Duruman’s journey and her struggle against social norms for the right to express her individuality. Many of the artist’s works are self-portraits that reflect her sensual experience.
The images of Ebru Duruman’s paintings hover between figurative depictions of the female body and abstraction expressing swirls of emotion. The artist seeks to depict the sensation of sexuality as a transitional state between body and mind. At the same time, her works are characterized by sometimes harsh expression: distorted forms, twisted compositions, interrupted aggressive strokes combined with smooth lines. As the artist herself puts it: “The interaction of people consuming each other sexually and emotionally exposes pleasure and pain simultaneously”.
Selected solo exhibitions:
2023 Fluid Desire, Dirimart Pera, Istanbul
2022 Breasts and Breaths, Bloom Galerie, Geneva
Selected group exhibitions:
2023 “Touch-A-Touch-A-Touch-A-Touch Me”. Berntson Bhattacharjee, London
2023 “Abstraction”. Taymour Grahne Projects, London
2022 “Fever Dreams”. Victoria Miro Gallery, Vortic (Online)
2022 “Water is Not for Sale”. Bloom Galerie, St Tropez, France
2022 “Golden Hour”. Bloom Galerie, St Tropez, France
2021 Exhibition in MEG Bebek, Istanbul
2021 Exhibition in UNIQ Istanbul, Istanbul
2021 Exhibition in Four Seasons Istanbul, Istanbul
2021 Exhibition in Art Menu, London
2020 “Interlude”. EAA Studios, New York, USA
2019 Exhibition in “The Canvas”, powered by Querencia Studio, selected artist work. New York, USA
2018 Exhibition in Peabody Essex Museum (PEM GALA), Boston, USA
2018 “Ronny Landfield”, selected artist work. Arts Students League of NY, New York, USA
2018 PG Pop-up. Pg Art Gallery, Istanbul
2018 “Fran O’Neil”, selected artist work. Arts Students League of New York, New York, USA
2017 “Ah”. Pg Art Gallery, Istanbul
2017 “I Hope So”. Pg Art Gallery, Istanbul
2017 “Rare Phenomenon Collective”, New York, USA
2017 Exhibition in Tomtom Istanbul, Pg Art Gallery, Istanbul
2016 “Cabinet of Curiosities”, Scope Miami. Cagla Cabaoglu Gallery, Miami Pei Cobb and Freed partners group art show, New York, USA
2010 D&D Art Studio Painting Exhibition, Istanbul
2009 Painting Show for young talents, ENKA Schools, Istanbul
2008 D&D Art Studio Painting Exhibition, Istanbul
Art Fairs:
2024 Art Singapore, Dirimart Gallery, Singapore
2023 Contemporary Istanbul Art Fair, Dirimart Gallery, Istanbul
2023 The Armory Show, Dirimart Gallery, New York, USA
2023 Contemporary Istanbul Bloom, Dirimart Gallery, Istanbul
2023 Art Basel Hong Kong, Dirimart Gallery, Hong Kong
2022 Frieze Art Fair, “Fever Dreams”, Vortic/Victoria Miro Gallery, London
Awards:
2011 Honorary Art Award, ENKA, Istanbul, Turkey