Kirkor Sahakoglu’s solo exhibition titled “paperworks” will be available to visit at GALERI 77’s Karakoy venue between March 10th – May 1st. The show will be simultaneously available for online viewing via GALERI 77’s Instagram and YouTube channels.

“paperworks” was built on Kirkor Sahakoglu’s answers to the question of how we can create and cling to life despite everything, in the days of the pandemic. In absence of his usual working space and the materials he is accustomed to using, Sahakoglu found salvation in returning to his essence. Creating his “paperworks”, the artist abandoned fabric, canvas, and all other materials, before going back ages to seek solace in paper.

Sahakoglu believes that humans have a loyal commitment to paper, as he details in his recounting of “paperworks’” creative process: This extraordinary experience is carved into our memories, and I put it on paper as it is one of the main means of handing over memories between generations. I approached every painting as a unique printing process. Every painting in this collection became memoirs of this period by scrapping the carbon copy nature of the moulds and producing it in ‘limited quantity’.” This period of practice, wherein action and reaction are simplified, and you must make do with what you have, perhaps reminds us in a way the perfection of simplicity, and that less is more.

One of the most notable aspects of the series is the square form in which all pieces were produced. On this Sahakoglu comments: I consider adopting the square form was a consequence of my dismissal of hierarchy, and longing to find myself as if I was in the womb. Because the main feature of a square is not having a ratio and by being equal on all sides there’s no need to measure it for scale. Big or small everything is equal. It is a balanced system where elementary reciprocals like vertical and horizontal or object and space don’t exist. The square gave me peace and security and maybe hope for future and tenacity.”

The exhibition consists of a carefully curated selection of paper art pieces Kirkor Sahakoglu has been creating since 2020, when the pandemic struck, and we all had to “stay home” and away from the amenities of our workspaces. The pieces all have a square form and vary in dimensions between 72x72 and 24x24 centimeters. The solo exhibition, titled “paperworks” will be available to visit until May 1st at Galeri 77’s Karakoy venue.