This website uses cookies
OK
Graphics
Collective Memory
Emre Inan | Turkey
The work presents dystopian visions of figureless spaces where identity becomes disconnected from essence, subjugated to totalitarian impulses of existence. In this series, the architectural motif of stairs transforms into a universal symbol of cultural ascent. Each step serves as a metaphor for transition — between eras, traditions, and worldviews. The artist develops a visual philosophy where personal spiritual quests take on the contours of collective cultural experience.

The monochromatic palette here transcends stylistic choice, becoming a means to show past and present interwoven into a single pattern. Stark black-and-white contrasts reveal the essence of forms, liberating them from temporal constraints. Deep shadows preserve memory of what was, while light planes reach toward what remains to be understood.

The intaglio printing technique, with its capacity for complex textural layering, proves the perfect language for this narrative. Like an archaeologist, the artist penetrates strata of time to uncover not artifacts but living meanings. Paper impressions preserve traces of this process — roughness, irregularities, and ink flows become visual metaphors for human memory with its gaps and emphases.

These works invite viewers to join a journey — not into specific cultures, but into the very nature of cultural continuity. Where every tradition, every artistic language becomes but a step in humanity’s endless spiritual ascent.
Intaglio Printmaking
2025