19.12.2024 - 01.02.2025
Labirent Sanat is pleased to announce Emel Ezal’s first solo exhibition titled “A Peaceful Sense of Discomfort”, which will open on 19 December 2024.
Under the shade of a mighty tree, on a starry night, or during an extraordinary sunset, there is no one who hasn’t experienced a moment of pause as life slips away beneath our feet. Sometimes, even in such moments of peace, one may encounter a sense of discomfort. This feeling can be independent of the loud noise from the external world, the chaos of life, or the conflicts within the mind. This state, which seems like peace itself, is an interesting dilemma in which peace and anxiety can coexist in one’s inner world. While anxiety brings us closer to our essence, it also carries the potential to make us question our place in the world by evoking both positive and negative emotions at the same time.
Alongside the peace we feel while watching a sunrise, there is a sense of discomfort contemplating the fleeting nature of this natural beauty and the impermanence of all things. Nature's captivating scenery also creates an inner conflict, prompting one to question their existence. Inner peace can sometimes contradict external serenity. This discomfort, in fact, is a confrontation with the fear of accepting the transience and inevitable endings behind peace.
In Emel Ezal’s painting, “A Peaceful Sense of Discomfort” which gives the exhibition its title, and in most of the works displayed, we encounter with the reflections of her experience with existential tensions, discovery of boundaries, and confronting contrasts within her inner world.
The boundaries of the body are not only physical; humans are also beings with “emotional skins.” In Emel Ezal’s work “I am Trying to Fit the Skin”, the concept of “skin” psychologically symbolizes the boundary between the inner and outer worlds. Much like Anzeui's concept of skin-ego, here, the skin can be seen as both a biological and emotional boundary. Psychologically or emotionally, people also try to fit within their skins; they develop various defense mechanisms to protect their inner world and shield themselves from external threats. Our skin is the outward expression of our identity and self. The body's outward appearance is the “visible face” of our self. Identity is presented to the environment through the body, and others recognize us first through our body. Therefore, our skin is not just a boundary but also a means of expression.
In Emel Ezal’s paintings, the use of bright colors, exotic plants, unconventional compositions, vague spaces, and figures that we can never fully grasp -from the titles she gives to the paintings, we realize that these figures represent Emel herself- evokes an irresistible sense of curiosity while also leading us into a deep unease. The curiosity and the embarrassment of observing/watching are almost intertwined.
Emel Ezal’s first solo exhibition, titled “A Peaceful Sense of Discomfort” can be seen at Labirent Sanat until 1 February 2025.
