İrem Çoban
Irem Çoban, who brings together different disciplines such as digital drawing, video, photography, film, and motion graphics, focuses in her works on gender, identity, the climate crisis, and emotions hidden within the individual's inner world.
About İrem Çoban
Irem Çoban completed her undergraduate education with first honors and her master's degree in the Department of Radio, Television, and Cinema at Galatasaray University.
She participated in group exhibitions, festivals, and workshops in various countries around the world, including the USA, Japan, Italy, Canada, Germany, England, Turkey, South Korea and Bulgaria.
She won the Best Technical Application Award with her video work titled “Tell Me My Future” at the “Art Woman 2020 Geo-Graphies” exhibition, organized by Primo Piano LivingGallery in Lecce, Italy.
Irem Çoban, who completed her proficiency in art program in the Department of Fine Arts at Maltepe University, continues her work in Istanbul.
“Making the unseen visible, what is not desired to be seen, is more exciting and impressive to me.”
The Individual Trapped in Ready-Made Lives
The constrained lives of individuals in today's world, including myself, within the ready-made lives presented to them, and the depressions they sometimes experience unknowingly, have always affected me.
It is necessary to express both individual and societal cries, such as those experienced by women oppressed by male dominance accepted within the patriarchal social order, and individuals with minority gender identities, as well as the necessity of expressing both individual and societal cries.
I believe that these emotions must be made visible for evil not to remain evil, and for inner worlds to be cleansed and set free.
At this point, I believe that for us to be liberated, we must be able to express our inner selves, our dreams, and our anxieties without fear.
Making the Unseen Visible
As long as reality is always visible to everyone; making the unseen and what is not desired to be seen visible, rather than showing what is already seen once more, is more exciting and impressive to me.
In this context, I strive to concretize my works by bringing out the emotions we internalize, both in our daily life practices and in our general perspectives on life by externalizing them.
An Interdisciplinary Expression
I make an effort to use fields such as digital drawing, video, photography, film, and motion graphics together in an interdisciplinary manner.
Through these works, I aim to convey the multidimensionality we possess as humanity.
I believe it is important to visualize, concretize, and bring to light the dirty laundry and inner energies we hide in the secret places of our minds, using abstract forms.
“I believe we must be able to express our inner selves, our dreams, and our anxieties without fear.”
Gender and Identity
In my works focusing on gender and identity issues, I explore the phenomenon of representation in feminist art.
In this context, problems arising from the climate crisis and, on the other hand, the significant increase in violence against women in our social lives during the pandemic quarantine, are among the main issues influencing my work.
Therefore, I aim for my works to raise awareness about the impact of the pandemic on the climate crisis and gender issues.
“There is a wonderful ocean of happiness and consciousness that an individual can reach by delving into their inner self. This ocean is the most important element that will purify us.”
David Lynch
