MELİH ÇEBİ

Melih Çebi (b.1990) is based in İstanbul. 

As a way of expressing himself, he found refuge in creating art. Many of his works now are inspired by the mindset of his childhood, but with a twist of heavy topics being discussed through the eyes of a child. 

The artist’s works play on the irony of the human condition while dealing with the darker side of the subconscious; as Çebi transforms his buried dreams and childhood memories into disturbing universal archetypes of adolescence. The blissful ignorance of childhood is attained through his continuously used characters with blank stares and perpetual smiles, by combining aspects of humanity with political narratives that reflect on concepts of greed and violence rooted in a consumerist culture. His works, most of the time, center around dark humour and sarcasm which creates a blurry line between high and low art. From employing Capri-Sun packaging as a canvas to meshing his contemporary color and pattern usage with ancient amphoras,  Çebi sets his own rules in terms of medium and aesthetic. Utilizing his inspiration from the Lowbrow and Pop Surrealism movements in art. 

His selected solo and group exhibitions include Baby on Board, PİLOT, Istanbul (2023), X-topia- Ancient Futures: All Belongs to Time, İstanbul Archeology Museum (Istanbul, 2022), AFOM- Pop Up Art Exhibition, Sameheads (Berlin, 2022), Flowers in December, Buyukdere35 (Istanbul, 2022), AFOM-A friend of mine (Istanbul, 2022), FAM- Pulse (Istanbul, 2020), Summer Love, EKAV Eğitim Kültür Araştırma Vakfı (Istanbul, 2018), Lee Make History (Italy, 2011).