Yasemin Kackar-Demirel



“Being a Turkish native residing in the United States, I have been influenced by both the architectural/ physical and the emotional aspects of certain environments and view them as great potentials to narrate stories through my works.” - Yasemin Kackar-Demirel



Yasemin Kackar-Demirel

Yasemin Kackar-Demirel

Yasemin Kackar-Demirel Biography

 

 

 

 

 

Yasemin Kackar-Demirel Description

Yasemin Kackar Demirel was born in Istanbul, received her BFA at Mimar Sinan University, Faculty of Fine Arts in Turkey, and her MFA in DeKalb (IL).  She currently lives in New York with her husband and young son. Her work is a fragmented and reconstructed journey through the places she has lived and traveled, both real and imagined. 
 
According to Kackar Demirel, "Being a Turkish native residing in the United States, I have been influenced by both the architectural/ physical and the emotional aspects of certain environments and view them as great potentials to narrate stories through my works. To the viewer, the plot of these narratives can be familiar or unknown, boundless or limited, conquered or yet to be discovered. I aim to create a ‘chaotic harmony’ by maintaining a balance between these contrasting concepts via the language of abstraction. In other words, it is an act of balancing integration and  independence that I intend to reflect through my works."
 
Kackar-Demirel has been featured in solo and group exhibitions in the US and Turkey. Her work is also in the Ipek-Ahmet Merey Foundation in Istanbul, Turkey. 

Yasemin Kackar-Demirel Resumé

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2019      Untethered, Curated by Eileen Jeng Lynch, The Yard, New York

2010      From My Home Page, C.A.M. Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey.

2008      Encounters, Courthouse Gallery, Lake George Arts Project, NY.

              "Belki Boylesi Daha Dogru / Perhaps it's Better This Way", C.A.M. Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey.

2007      "My Ongoing Travelogue", McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, IL.

2006      "Synthetic Lands", an exhibition of paintings/drawings, The Marmara-Manhattan, NY,  NY.

2004      “Never Land”, Graduate Gallery, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL.

2002      Glass Gallery, Northern Illinois University, Holmes Student Ctr, DeKalb, IL.

 

Group Exhibitions

2019    Summer in the City, Elisa Contemporary Art, NY

2018    Affordable Art Fair, Elisa Contemporary Art, NY

2017    25 Under 26, Elisa Contemporary Art, NY

2016    National Juried Group Show, Ceres Gallery, NY.  Juror:  Carmen del Valle Hermo,  Assistant curator

             for Collections, Guggenheim Museum

2015      Aqua Art Miami, Elisa Contemporary Art

2014      Global Perspective, Elisa Contemporary Art, NY and the Design Studio, Bridgehampton NY

              Structured Spaces, Elisa Contemporary Art, NY

2012      Affordable Art Fair, Elisa Contemporary Art, NY

2009      Space Jam,Union Editions Gallery, New York, NY.

              The Halpert Biennial, juror Jeffrey Grove Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.

              Crossing Lines, juror Darsie Alexander, Delaware Ctr for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, DE.

2008      Present Perfect Continuous, curated by Denise Wong, NurtureArt Gallery, Brooklyn, NY.

              Painting Pink Pajamas, curated by Heather Brammier, Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, Peoria, IL.

              SAFE, juror Laura McPhee, Atlantic Works Gallery, East Boston, MA.

              Small Works Show, curated by David Humphrey, 440 Gallery, Brooklyn, NY.

              Gelecek Program, C.A.M. Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey.

2007      The 20th Drawing Show: 'Drawing the Line', juror Magdalena Campos-Pons, The Mills Gallery,

              Boston Center for the Arts, Boston, MA.

              Reconfigured, The Basement Gallery, Knoxville, TN.

              New Directions '07, juror Jose Luis Blonde, Barrett Art Center, Poughkeepsie, NY.

              10th Annual National Prize Show, juror Thomas W. Lentz, Kathryn Schultz and University       

              Place Galleries, Cambridge, MA.

              Emergence, curated by Hadieh Shafie, Current Gallery, Baltimore, MD.

              The Square Foot Show, Art Gotham Gallery, New York, NY.

2006      26th Annual Faber Birren National Color Award Show, juror Tricia Paik,  Stamford Art Assoc, Stamford, CT.

2005      Dorothy's Red Shoes, McLean County Arts Center, Bloomington, IL.

              11th International Exhibition of Women's Art, juror Feresteh Daftari, Soho20 Gallery, NY, NY.

              Juried "It's a small world" Exhibit, Fredericksburg Center for Creative Arts, VA.

              Juried 7th Annual All-Media Exhibition, juror Britta Konau, Touchstone Gallery, Wash., DC.

2004     MFA Exhibition, NIU Museum Art Gallery, Chicago, IL.

              Juried Emerging Illinois Artists Exhibition, juror Staci Boris,McLean County Arts Center,           Bloomington, IL.

              Women’s History Month Show, DeKalb Area Women’s Center, DeKalb, IL.

2003      Juried “New Beginnings/ False Starts” Exhibit, juror Holly Hutto/Denise Bronson Allen,

     HotHouse Gallery,  Chicago, IL.

              Inaugural Exhibition, Bad Dog Gallery, DeKalb, IL

Juried Chicago Women’s Caucus for Arts Members’ Exhibition, DeKalb Area Women’s Center,    DeKalb, IL.

              Women’s History Month Show, DeKalb Area Women’s Center, DeKalb, IL.

              NIU Graduate Group Show, Jack Olson Gallery, DeKalb, IL.

2002      Fifth Annual Chicago Art Open Student Show, Third Floor Gallery, Chicago, IL.

              Juried Inaugural Mixed Media Exhibition “Impressions from Diversity”,Holmes Student Center,

              Glass Gallery.             

              NIU Graduate Group Show, Jack Olson Gallery, DeKalb, IL.

              TACA Turkish-American Cultural Alliance Chicago Area Artists’ Group Exhibition, TACA        Building, Harlem, Chicago, IL.

              Printmaking Group Exhibition,Expression Graphics, Oak Park, IL.

2001      Juried Painting and Sculpture Exhibition “What Will be the Condition of This Country?”            Cekirdek Art Group, Bilim Art Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey.

2000      Juried Painting Exhibition, Turkish Heart Foundation, Museum of Painting/Sculpture, Istanbul, Turkey.    

              Juried Painting Exhibition, Ipek-Ahmet Merey Foundation, Istanbul, Turkey.

              14th Annual Major Textiles Culture and Art Fair, Sile Municipality, Sile, Turkey.

  Juried Painting/Sculpture Exhibition “Chaos and Future” Cekirdek Art Group, Naval Museum Art    Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey.

1999      Juried Painting Exhibition, Turkish Heart Foundation, Istanbul, Turkey.

1997      Painting Exhibition, Foreign Ministry Women’s Association, Ankara, Turkey.

 

Collections               

Ipek-Ahmet Merey Foundation, Istanbul, Turkey

             

Residency

2010      Explor-Art: 2010 Edition, AreaOdeon, Monza, Italy

2003      Summer Studio Residency, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY         

 

Honors and Awards

 

2008      Curator's Choice Award, Small Works Show, 440 Gallery

2006      Moon and Stars Project, Visual Arts Department 2006 Exhibition Award

2004    1st Prize, Juror’s Choice Award, Emerging Illinois Artists Juried Exhibition, McLean County Arts Center

2002-2003 Jack Eleanor Olson Art Scholarship Award, Northern Illinois University

2001    Awarded second in rank upon graduation from the Painting Department of Mimar Sinan University, sponsored by Sabanci Foundation

2000    1st Prize, Ipek-Ahmet Merey Painting Competition. Mimar Sinan University, Istanbul, Turkey

1993    1st Prize in the “Environment Consciousness and Sensitivity” titled Painting Competition. SOS Environmental Magazine Istanbul, Turkey

 

Education

2004      MFA, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL

2001      BFA, Mimar Sinan University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Istanbul, Turkey

 

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