“Nook,” oil on canvas, 2020
At first glance, it’s hard to distinguish Mustafa Yüce‘s art from reality. The Turkish artist creates hyperrealistic paintings and pastel drawings of enigmatic figures in carefully crafted environments. Seemingly lost in their own thoughts, they are intended to reflect people’s inner worlds.
“What I really want to emphasize is the narrative in my compositions,” Yüce explains to My Modern Met. “I embody the theme of reflecting reality, leaving the audience to question the reality of discrimination and acceptance.” Each piece is masterfully rendered to resemble three-dimensional places and people. Using his mediums of choice—oil paint on canvas and pastel on paper—he recreates the textures of hair, skin, cloth, and foliage. As a result, his art can be mistaken with a photograph.
Yüce’s hyperrealistic style is paired with unexpected subject matter. Female figures inhabit varied environments indoors and outside, their expressions calm and lost in thought. In Nook, for instance, a woman naps inside the hole of a brick wall, her long dark hair cascading over the circular cement frame. Similarly, Birce features a female figure clad in an ornate black gown who stares directly at the viewer from her position on the carpeted floor. Although not quite a dream, these images capture relationships between people and nature, life and death, and inner and outer lives.
You can keep up with Yüce’s latest art by following him on Facebook and Instagram.
Turkish artist Mustafa Yüce creates exquisite paintings and drawings with hyperrealistic details.
“Dead Flower,” pastel on paper, 2019
“Tilsim,” pastel on paper, 2022
He depicts enigmatic figures that appear to be caught in a trance.
“Birce,” pastel on paper, 2019
“Beyaz kelebek,” pastel on paper, 2022
“White Death,” pastel on paper, 2022
Yüce tries to explore people’s inner world through his realistic art.
“Quiet Time,” pastel on paper, 2019
“Transformation,” pastel on paper, 2019
“The World,” oil on canvas, 2016
“The Moon,” oil on canvas, 2016
Watch these videos for insight into Yüce’s meticulous process:
View this post on Instagram