ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Zeynep Tekiner, a first generation Turkish-American, is a New York based painter. Zeynep graduated with a B.A. in Visual and Communication Arts and a Minor in Studio Art from Franklin University, Switzerland. After painting independently for several years and continuing to pursue her craft in various studios in New York and Istanbul, she went on to earn her MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art in 2018. Zeynep has exhibited her work in several group shows in the United States and abroad, including at Art Miami, Art New York, Sotheby’s, New York. Zeynep’s paintings investigate material, gesture, and perceptual ambiguity.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My paintings situate figures in brightly coloured open landscapes that resemble beaches, landscapes and retreat-like settings. While these environments suggest leisure and community, the figures are often turned inward, absorbed in solitude and introspection. I am drawn to bold vibrant colour, and the expressive possibilities of gesture, using them to explore mood and psychological presence. By keeping backgrounds simple and unresolved, I create space for ambiguity and openness that invites viewers to project their own experiences.