Pt. 1: “The Savage Dance.”

Mr. Wrath: How would you describe your artwork?

Yucel: I think my imagery is extremely raw. And just like this conversation, most of the time it happens in the moment. There is no going back. I do not revisit my paintings, you know, I work on them very quickly. That's why they have all this raw ness and energy. And I think I've been chasing to create something striking and memorable. You look at it, it has, you know, hoping that it's there's a lot of emotions beyond appreciation to the figures. So I'm looking for happy, beautiful accidents all the time.”

The amount of depth and texture that Yucel quite literally pours into his paintings gives it such an incredibly savage tone. Curious about his methodology behind his work, I asked him how he actuates his art. 

Yucel: I tried things on an easel and I wasn't really comfortable. Putting on the floor or putting on a table, depending on the size I was freer to move with my hands as easily, you know your hand moves are limited. I have to have music playing and a lot of times I sip red wine and loosen my hands. I described my hand as almost like a dance. So I danced to the music or I danced to the mood.

“Ahhhhhhhh!”

Pt. 2: “A Cry for Justice.”

After Yucel has added his desired paint to the canvas he stands it upright and lets layers of paint drip down the canvas. Then Yucel discovers trapped souls within them, screaming out towards him begging to be heard. It is then that Yucel will try to capture the essence of these people, casting ghoulish figures in his paintings.

Yucel: These figures are desperate to be heard. Obviously, they are some kind of pain or they desire to be noticed and heard or they are trying to look for justice somehow. I mean, I think they reflect the times that we are in, things change so quickly and in our world right now. People are looking for comfort and I think everybody's kind of shouting but nobody's listening to each other. I also paint a lot of women…I believe it creates an interesting contrast with beauty and sexuality and being in pain and being not treated fairly. To me, these women (the women are Yucel's paintings), most of them are protesting, they are open full front, they are not hiding anything, and maybe they are, they want to start a conversation.”

“ScreamingHead.”

Pt. 3: “The Passionate Essence.”

In the final question of our interview, Erdogan distilled his essence into five simple words: "He is a passionate artist." These words encapsulate the unwavering dedication and intensity that define his artistic journey. Erdogan's unyielding pursuit of truth and his willingness to embrace the untamed forces of creation set him apart. His paintings are a testament to the power of passion, leaving an indelible mark on both the artist and the beholder.

“Untitled.”