In art history, the concept of “canon” refers to an elitism that defines certain aesthetic, thematic norms and technical boundaries. These norms often draw boundaries with certain value judgments while deciding which works will be included in the history of art and which artists will be highlighted.

By providing answers to questions such as which artists and works are “important” and which techniques are “correct”, the canon has placed art production within a certain framework. However, Özcan Uzkur goes beyond the definition of the canon and constructs his own unique language and visual universe. The artist’s technical experimentation and deep thematic concerns in his works make him one of the most striking and original names in contemporary art.

Özcan Uzkur has an experimental and in-depth productivity that transcends the traditional understanding of art. He re-questions the concept of “canon”, one of the most fundamental debates in contemporary art. By persistently resisting boundaries, Uzkur establishes an original, aesthetic, ethical and logical language through materials and narratives that have been used late and ignored in the history of art. The exhibition titled “After Paradise”, which focuses on his works of the last 25 years, comprehensively addressing his stance outside the canon in his artistic career, his experimental and always evolving relationship with materials, and his in-depth questioning of human history, turns into a symbolic narrative in which the artist alludes to the mythical themes of “expulsion from paradise” and “original sin” and traces of humanity’s most tragic origins and existential questioning.

Uzkur’s art practice is not confined within a specific aesthetic discipline; on the contrary, it creates multi-layered narratives based on its characteristics such as flexibility, transformation and permanence. The artist uses his material not only as a surface but also as a narrative tool. By intervening in the material through processes such as burning, pressing, cutting and wearing, Uzkur expresses both his personal experiences and the universal human condition through this material. The material becomes both an artistic and a socio-political means of expression in Uzkur’s aesthetic approach. At the same time, as one of the consequences of original sin, it refers to the self-centered nature of human beings in their bodies, ashamed of nudity, self-protection, self-covering and hiding with their fall into the world. In my opinion, the thread is both an individual signature and an expression of a social consciousness in Uzkur’s works.

The exhibition “After Eden”, by establishing a direct connection with the myth of the expulsion from paradise, expresses a struggle for existence that begins with the first sin of humanity and will last forever. This mythic narrative is the sad hum of the spiral of cycles, pain, regret, sin and violence that human beings fall into. Under this title, Uzkur deals with the conflicts and existential inquiries in the inner world of human beings, on the other hand, social injustices, violence and power relations created and victimized by human beings themselves.

The color red, which Uzkur uses predominantly in his works, has a language of representation that historically and culturally symbolizes pain, resistance, violence and struggle. With its representations of dynamic power and inner movement, red symbolizes the tragedy of human beings that began with original sin, as well as the permanent traces of this sin. It is a symbol and a powerful objection that expresses the guilt of original sin and self-centered desires.

Especially in the Great Humanity and Undefined Organs series, the strong presence of the color red draws attention to the struggle for existence that pushes human beings to their limits in both individual and social recovery. Red symbolizes man’s painful, corrupt heritage, rebellion and resistance against social boundaries, creating a space for the viewer to question both the physical and spiritual endurance of man. Red functions as a stimulant and triggers emotional responses in the viewer. The intense atmosphere created by Uzkur’s use of red, combined with the fragmented and abstracted images of the human body, becomes a powerful tool that expresses the rebellion and tragedy of human beings pushing their social and psychological limits.

The Fire Play series symbolizes man’s destruction of nature and his confrontation with his own destructive power. The burning surfaces take the viewer beyond an aesthetic experience, creating space to confront environmental and human tragedies throughout history.

The Seed series stands out as a reflection of Uzkur’s commitment to the material. These works, created by the artist through experimental methods, push the limits of the material. Each method used here can be seen not only as a physical process but also as a deep-rooted connection with the past. Such textural and material-oriented approaches, which we do not often encounter in the canonical structure of art history, are an indication of the artist’s search.

The exhibition “After Eden” represents a space where Özcan Uzkur draws his own creative path by standing against the canons of art history. It is characterized by his innovative attitude in the use of materials and the critical perspective he develops against aesthetic norms, re-questions the expressive possibilities of art and offers a new perspective on the painful legacy of human history. This exhibition reconsiders the tragedy that begins with the fall of man from paradise and is passed down from generation to generation as an existential burden, in the depth of red and black. The artist’s dynamic relationship with the material creates a memory space for today’s tragedies in a contemporary language. Thus, the viewer is invited to rethink the existential questions of humanity through the myth of expulsion from paradise.