Hale Karpuzcu

About

İstanbul based painter

Statement

At the core of my artistic practice, I position the image of the child not merely as a biological developmental stage, but as a universal "state" that embodies memory, vulnerability, fear, and transformation. In my works, I strip childhood of the nostalgic and sterile mold of innocence cast upon it by modernity; instead, I construct it as a restless space where social morality, collective memory, and existential pains are questioned. I critically address the restrictive role of the "human offspring" (insan yavrusu) imposed by society, which dictates that the child belongs solely to their lineage or parents rather than being an independent individual. To visualize this critical stance, I place my figures on decontextualized canvas planes. In line with Van den Berg’s theory of "pictures that look back," I aim to disrupt the traditional hierarchy of the gaze. In my paintings, the child is not a passive object to be viewed; on the contrary, with their large and luminous eyes, they are an autonomous subject and a bearer of memory who forces the viewer to confront their own past and suppressed witnesses. The snakes, butterflies, insect shells, and cosmic images I employ in my portraits create deep layers of psychological and cultural meaning, symbolizing transformation, identity construction, and the cycle of life. My primary goal is not to idealize the figure of the child, but rather to construct an effective visual memory through which the most fundamental questions of human existence are asked—freezing time while compelling the past to speak

Education

• 2026Güzel Sanatlar Yüksek Lisans, Yeditepe University, İstanbul

Exhibitions

Recognition

Commissions

I take commissions children portraits in my style only