elif kemahlıoğlu

About Me.

I was born in İzmir in 1987. After earning a double major in Studio Art and International Relations from the University of Virginia in 2010, I moved to New York, where I completed a master’s degree at Columbia University. During my time there, I was actively involved in various art collectives and creative initiatives that shaped my early artistic voice.

In 2012, I returned to Turkey and began working freelance with production companies in Istanbul, primarily within art departments. This experience allowed me to collaborate on numerous commercials, short films, and feature-length productions, broadening my perspective on visual storytelling and creative collaboration.

Since 2014, I’ve been based in Alaçatı, İzmir, where I continue to develop my personal practice and participate in exhibitions. As a mixed media artist, I primarily work with acrylic paint, oil paint, and recycled materials on canvas. I also create illustrations using ink and markers, often on handmade or repurposed paper. My work is deeply inspired by nature, both in theme and material, and often explores the connection between organic forms, emotional landscapes, and sustainability.

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Nature is at the heart of everything I create. Every color tells a story,every pattern reveals a hidden detail that I see around me. I’m constantly drawn to the richness and diversity of the natural world, and my work reflects the way it speaks to me through shifting forms, organic textures, and layered meaning.

Creating is more than just a practice for me, it is a need. Living with ADHD means my mind is often restless and loud. When I’m painting or building a piece, I can let go of the chaos and follow the rhythm of lines and colors instead. It’s a deeply grounding process that helps me navigate life’s challenges and stay connected to myself.

Through my work, I hope to share the connection nature, to process, to emotion and invite others to the beauty in what’s often overlooked. Each piece both a reflection and a reclamation of materials, of attention, and of the stories we find when we slow down and truly look.

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EXHIBITIONS

 

2026

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What Remains, Group Exhibition, Awita New York Studio, Brooklyn, New York (November)

In Between, Group Exhibition, Awita New York Studio, Brooklyn, New York (October)

Edge Intersection, Group Exhibition, HAD, Caresse Art, Bodrum (September)

Group Exhibition, Caresse ArtxHAD, Caresse Luxury Resort Bodrum (June-August)

‘’İzmir Gibi’’ - Group Exhibition, House of Art and Design (HAD), Alsancak, İzmir (March)

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2025

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An Exhibition for Good – Group Fundraising Exhibition for Stray Dog Shelter, Pour Alaçatı, Alaçatı (June)

 

2024

 

Sevgi – Solo Exhibition, Mu Yıldızburnu, Çeşme (May–June)

 

2023

 

The Journey of Creative Women – Group Exhibition, The Local House, Çeşme (September)

An’da Kal – Group Exhibition, Mu Yıldızburnu, Çeşme (July)

Solo Exhibition – Mu Yıldızburnu, Çeşme (June)

 

2022

 

Reparo – Solo Exhibition, Alaçatı Open Store, Alaçatı (June)

Alaçatı Herb Festival – Solo Exhibition, Alaçatı Historical Windmills, Alaçatı (April)

 

2020

 

Elif Kemahlıoğlu Retrospective – Solo Exhibition, Alaçatı Open Store, Alaçatı (July)

Small Works 11 – Group Exhibition, Galeri Mamma, İzmir (February–March)

 

2019

 

Istanbul Art Show – Group Exhibition, 8artı1 Gallery Stand (December)

Çeşme Festival Exhibition – Group Exhibition, Alaçatı Municipality Exhibition Hall (September)

 

2018

 

Global Greening (Küresel Yeşillenme) – Solo Exhibition, Peri Art Gallery, Alaçatı (July)

The Power of Art – Group Exhibition, GT Art Gallery, İzmir (February–March)

 

2017

 

Breath (Nefes) – Group Exhibition, NişArt, Maçka, Istanbul (November)

Traveling Exhibition (Gezen Sergi) – Solo Exhibition, 5 Locations in Alaçatı (August)

We Set Out With a Feeling (Bir Hisle Çıktık Yola) – Duo Exhibition, Galeri Mamma, İzmir (April)

 

2015

 

Minimix – Duo Exhibition, Peri Art Gallery, Alaçatı (July)

 

2014

 

Boz-Yap – Duo Exhibition, Peri Art Gallery, Alaçatı (July)