Bringing identity to her works by using the natural stones of Turkey, Sculptor Demet Kaya Güngörür is inspired by basic concepts such as human, position of human against nature and gender inequalities in her works she pushes the limits of material. We talked to the artist, who has been interested in natural stone, especially marble from the first moments of her professional life, about her relationship with the materials, sources of inspirations and current works.
What is the
story behind your inclination towards sculpture art?
Demet Kaya Güngörür: My interest
in sculpture is actually based on my high school years. Among the sculptures I
saw at the Istanbul Archeology Museum, where I went for a project, I was very
impressed by the Marsiyas sculpture. It was admirable to me that such hard
material could convey a human feeling so realistically to the audience. I think
I made my decision in my second year of high school.
What concepts
do you get inspiration from while producing your works? How would you describe
your relationship with the material?
DKG: The most important concept that inspired
me while putting out my works is human. The process of transforming human
fragility against nature into a concrete form in a hard material has always
impressed me. I have always liked the effort to push the limits of the
material, to struggle with it, to change our weakness in the face of nature, to
change the strong-weak balance. It’s a kind of war with oneself, in my opinion.
Sometimes the material forces it, sometimes you do it. The creation process of
the work of art passes through being able to establish this balance.
You mostly
prefer marble in your works. Why marble?
DKG: This is the main reason why I prefer to
work with marble in my works: The difficulty of the material. I like the
feeling of struggling with the difficult one.
What do you
think are the advantages and disadvantages of working with marble?
DKG: The advantage of working with marble, in
my opinion, is that the material is resistant to natural conditions for many
years. In addition, just like an artist’s palette, marble offers many options
with its natural structure, texture and color range. What I can say as a
disadvantage is that marble is not a material that tolerates mistakes too much
due to its structure. It is a challenging material as it is a way of working by
subtracting rather than multiplying, as in other main materials such as clay.
You need to know the stone very well. You often do not know what awaits you in
a mass. Actually, we sculptors are like chance hunters.
Which
regions’ marbles do you prefer?
DKG: Marble varieties are actually quite rich
in our country. I prefer Afyon marble mostly for my works because of its
hardness and color. Apart from this, I also work with materials such as
Kemalpaşa marble, onyx and Marmara marble.
Are there any
other natural stones you like to work with than marble?
DKG: Apart from marble, I also work with
natural stones. My favorite is serpentine. The texture of the serpentine,
especially its color, is the biggest factor in my preference for it.
What would
you say about your current works ?
DKG: Among my recent works, there are mostly
genderless figures trying to complete their own existence. We know that there
is inequality between men and women in society. Especially women are left
behind in every issue and that they suffer many injustices such as violence.
The fact that men and women are an inseparable whole in nature, that is, the
search for equality for both sexes is a prominent feeling in my current works.
That’s why my works are genderless, missing some parts, and waiting to be
completed.
