The art of Melis Buyruk

Melis Buyruk creates arresting juxtapositions between fragments of the human body and unexpected invasions of voracious insects, insertions of flowers and thorns, as well as ordinary elements which are recontextualized or metamorphosed in skillfully crafted sculptural objects. Also highlighted in the works of the Turkish artist is the contrast between the pure, graceful yet fragile whiteness of lips, ears, hands and heart and an unnatural golden presence like a threat or a wound.

In some artworks, there is no trace of an identity, no references to gender or social status, while universal behaviors and instincts of survival become focus – eating, for instance, although the “plates” unveil a both unsettling and alluring dish. In other sculptures, the artistic approach is rather ironic in regard to female/male concerns and inner conflicts, emphasizing gender stereotypes and expectations of being higher and stronger according to generally imposed and accepted standards, despite the painful process to achieve this.

Moreover, there is a sense of erosion, of decay in the act of devouring man or cutting the heart in order to bloom. In the constant oscillation between life and death, strength and weakness, the absence of certain elements – the bleeding in contact with the thorns – allows a lucid moment of decision, before the act can take place, or may suggest the contrary, repetition until hurt is no longer felt and endured with the mind, without physical suffering.