Shan Ogdemli

My art reflects my beliefs about the nature of the universe and the interconnectedness of all things. I’m inspired by light, color and energy, patterns from biology, geometry and physics, by the Earth and Cosmos and by the intersection of spirituality and science. I believe that there are unseen patterns and structures that exist in multiple dimensions across this universe, and others, surrounding, connecting and influencing everything in the material and non-material realms. My aim as an artist is to capture the essence of those unseen structures and bring them forth into the visible physical world in the form of colors, patterns and images. I am intrigued by the mathematics behind the patterns and structures of plants and animals; by the way the vibrational frequencies of sound can translate into visual structures; by the way the frequencies of spinning electrons can create color and how color can in turn emanate vibrational frequencies; by how matter and energy turn out to be interchangeable; by the mysteries of quantum physics, the mysteries of space-time and the mystery of life. I also appreciate the beauty of a simple landscape. My acrylic paintings incorporate diatomaceous earth (DE) mixed with gel mediums and pigment to create heavily textured surfaces with expressive brush strokes that add movement and energy. DE is a very fine sand like substance made from the skeletons of diatoms (tiny one celled sea creatures) used because of it’s grainy texture and non-reflective quality. I make my own brushes out of dust broom straw to achieve the directional textures. Color and the vibrational and emotional effect it has on the viewer is an important part of my work, with harmonic and complementary color compositions meticulously built from several layers of translucent and opaque paint. The full effect of the color vibrations and energy emanating from my acrylic paintings are best appreciated in person.