Hasan Kıran’s Healing Rhythms
Dummmm…
Dummmm…
The sun sets, painting the earth and the sky in red, slowly disappearing behind the mountains as the shadows of the forest begin to sharpen. From the distant corners of the plane, one can hear the ringing bells of the herds returning home. The sweet daily breeze making trees dance turns into an uncanny wind making cheekbones ache. The air is covered with the earth’s humid smell full of evening chill…
Dummmm….
Dummmm…
The crackle of the fire burning exuberantly blends with the threatening rustles of the dark bushes. From among the leaves painted in moonlight silver, a timid owl’s amber eyes appear for a moment. And sitting in silence near the fire, the wise wizard suddenly begins to tell his mysterious stories we all have been waiting to hear…
The strength of Hasan Kıran’s art comes from the deep sincerity of his relationship with nature. The artist borrows images from ancient myths as well as everyday life and combines them using authentic motifs. This pattern is so intense and striking that the viewer, once exposed to the work, has no choice other than submitting to its flow and motion. To build its own narrative, the mind embarks on an effort to decipher the codes either standing at the composition’s center in all their glory or waiting to be discovered in its periphery. Meanwhile, the doors into the unconscious become wide open and all the ghosts of the past also suddenly join in. In fact, one of Kıran’s main purposes is to remind the viewer of the existence of the whole he is already a part of but that he struggles to access under the contemporary circumstances. This whole based on a never-ending cycle is both timeless and infinite, and to be able to reconnect with its immensity is the most essential healing source for the individual with a historical amnesia of the ancient teachings.
Shamanism is one of the main subjects in Kıran’s oeuvre. With their ongoing presence in the Anatolian culture, shamanic rituals call the forces of nature for help by glorifying them. However, the human being is not considered distinct from or superior to nature. This illusion emerges in the earliest agricultural settlements followed by the monotheistic belief systems putting nature at the service of man. In this new equation, nature is no more a collaborator worthy of respect but an enemy to be brought to its knees. The future of all the other living beings is entrusted to man taking his authority from god. The industrial revolution further exacerbates this sense of superiority where natural resources almost exclusively exist to sustain capitalism, the “new deity on earth”. In time, even the individual himself becomes one of the leading subjects of this exploitation. His gradual disconnection from nature results in his alienation from his own nature. This is where Kıran’s works become totems granting access to the healing sources described in the forgotten teachings.
In Kıran’s art, the technical approach supports the layers of meaning. His choice of medium, the woodcut print, invites the tree into the discourse as well. Evidently, humans have had some kind of intuition regarding the trees’ place within the ecological cycle since ancient times. For instance, the image of the tree connecting the earth with the sky has a vital importance in Shamanism. Moreover, their lifespan being much longer than the humans’, the trees witness plenty of phenomena that they register inside their trunks in the form of circles. Thus, it is not surprising that an artist searching for the humans’ lost essence in nature turns to the tree as the closest witness of that loss. Consequently, nature itself becomes part of the work with all the stories encrypted inside the wood’s texture, which further enriches its layers of meaning. Woodcut print supports Kıran’s quest in yet another way. The works derived from the main mold are the latter’s mirror image. In various cultures, the mirror is associated with dichotomies such as life-death, good-bad and reality-illusion. According to some belief systems, the cosmos is the reflection of its creator. Seemingly a technical detail at first sight, it actually invites into Kıran’s discourse an immense sea of references ranging from Narcissus’s story to Plato’s allegory of the cave, from Dorian Gray’s Portrait to Lacan’s mirror phase. In other words, while Kıran is dedicated to exploring the technical possibilities of printmaking, he also uses it as a door into the vast perceptual universe he wants his viewers to step into.
Rhythm is another defining element in Kıran’s oeuvre. With its omnipotent presence in meditation gongs, church bells, shamanic drums and African tamtams, and with its central role in rituals from various ages and cultures, it becomes manifest in the works as recurring motifs and wavy forms. Drums also have the function of signaling danger and drawing the evil spirits away; it is no coincidence that shamanic drums are made of wood. The tree is the key element in the creation myths according to which the human being derived from the tree. In fact, human physiology itself is based on rhythmic cycles resembling those of a tree. The heart beats at a certain pace. The breath is inhaled and exhaled at certain intervals. The two together make life’s continuation possible by establishing these interrelated cycles. This might explain why a rhythm from an external source facilitates trance. Even more interestingly, the therapeutic use of certain sound frequencies in modern medicine has lately become widespread. Kıran notices the correlation between rhythm and healing and transfers it into the realm of visual perception. Hence, he also paves the way for a synesthetic experience we seldom encounter in printmaking practices.
Another characteristic of Kıran’s works is their ability to simultaneously join the eastern and western art historical narratives. The artist presents the traditional Japanese woodcut print within a typically western installation approach. He finds inspiration in the impressionists and Mehmed Siyah Kalem alike. The two-dimensionality of his works can be reminiscent of cave paintings, hieroglyphs or miniatures. His compositions dominated by wavy motifs both bring to mind Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Hokusai. While paying tribute to the 20th century land art, he also visits Çatalhöyük. Hasan Kıran creates an authentic and liberal universe where the voice of humanity’s collective consciousness can be heard. This universe is a truly unique healing source for those willing to open themselves to it.
Dummmm…
Dummmm…
The break of day is near. Painting the earth and the sky in red, the sun slowly appears behind the mountains, and the golden beams of light emanating from among the leaves dance in the depths of the forest. The roosters’ anxious coos from the distant corners of the plane break the dawn’s silence. The dew from the night leaves the soil to blend with the sweet early morning breeze. The air is covered with the dazzling scents of the delicate wildflowers…
Dummmm…
Dummmm…
The wise wizard opens his eyes and quietly straightens, looking at the immense mountains. The birds’ cheerful twitters join the ecstatic rustles of the bushes flattering with the wind. On the river painted in daylight silver, a timid rabbit’s charcoal eyes appear for a moment. While everyone else sleeps, the wizard, finally at peace for having been able to tell his stories, slowly disappears at the edge of the forest…
İpek Yeğinsü, 2021
Dummmm…
Dummmm…
The sun sets, painting the earth and the sky in red, slowly disappearing behind the mountains as the shadows of the forest begin to sharpen. From the distant corners of the plane, one can hear the ringing bells of the herds returning home. The sweet daily breeze making trees dance turns into an uncanny wind making cheekbones ache. The air is covered with the earth’s humid smell full of evening chill…
Dummmm….
Dummmm…
The crackle of the fire burning exuberantly blends with the threatening rustles of the dark bushes. From among the leaves painted in moonlight silver, a timid owl’s amber eyes appear for a moment. And sitting in silence near the fire, the wise wizard suddenly begins to tell his mysterious stories we all have been waiting to hear…
The strength of Hasan Kıran’s art comes from the deep sincerity of his relationship with nature. The artist borrows images from ancient myths as well as everyday life and combines them using authentic motifs. This pattern is so intense and striking that the viewer, once exposed to the work, has no choice other than submitting to its flow and motion. To build its own narrative, the mind embarks on an effort to decipher the codes either standing at the composition’s center in all their glory or waiting to be discovered in its periphery. Meanwhile, the doors into the unconscious become wide open and all the ghosts of the past also suddenly join in. In fact, one of Kıran’s main purposes is to remind the viewer of the existence of the whole he is already a part of but that he struggles to access under the contemporary circumstances. This whole based on a never-ending cycle is both timeless and infinite, and to be able to reconnect with its immensity is the most essential healing source for the individual with a historical amnesia of the ancient teachings.
Shamanism is one of the main subjects in Kıran’s oeuvre. With their ongoing presence in the Anatolian culture, shamanic rituals call the forces of nature for help by glorifying them. However, the human being is not considered distinct from or superior to nature. This illusion emerges in the earliest agricultural settlements followed by the monotheistic belief systems putting nature at the service of man. In this new equation, nature is no more a collaborator worthy of respect but an enemy to be brought to its knees. The future of all the other living beings is entrusted to man taking his authority from god. The industrial revolution further exacerbates this sense of superiority where natural resources almost exclusively exist to sustain capitalism, the “new deity on earth”. In time, even the individual himself becomes one of the leading subjects of this exploitation. His gradual disconnection from nature results in his alienation from his own nature. This is where Kıran’s works become totems granting access to the healing sources described in the forgotten teachings.
In Kıran’s art, the technical approach supports the layers of meaning. His choice of medium, the woodcut print, invites the tree into the discourse as well. Evidently, humans have had some kind of intuition regarding the trees’ place within the ecological cycle since ancient times. For instance, the image of the tree connecting the earth with the sky has a vital importance in Shamanism. Moreover, their lifespan being much longer than the humans’, the trees witness plenty of phenomena that they register inside their trunks in the form of circles. Thus, it is not surprising that an artist searching for the humans’ lost essence in nature turns to the tree as the closest witness of that loss. Consequently, nature itself becomes part of the work with all the stories encrypted inside the wood’s texture, which further enriches its layers of meaning. Woodcut print supports Kıran’s quest in yet another way. The works derived from the main mold are the latter’s mirror image. In various cultures, the mirror is associated with dichotomies such as life-death, good-bad and reality-illusion. According to some belief systems, the cosmos is the reflection of its creator. Seemingly a technical detail at first sight, it actually invites into Kıran’s discourse an immense sea of references ranging from Narcissus’s story to Plato’s allegory of the cave, from Dorian Gray’s Portrait to Lacan’s mirror phase. In other words, while Kıran is dedicated to exploring the technical possibilities of printmaking, he also uses it as a door into the vast perceptual universe he wants his viewers to step into.
Rhythm is another defining element in Kıran’s oeuvre. With its omnipotent presence in meditation gongs, church bells, shamanic drums and African tamtams, and with its central role in rituals from various ages and cultures, it becomes manifest in the works as recurring motifs and wavy forms. Drums also have the function of signaling danger and drawing the evil spirits away; it is no coincidence that shamanic drums are made of wood. The tree is the key element in the creation myths according to which the human being derived from the tree. In fact, human physiology itself is based on rhythmic cycles resembling those of a tree. The heart beats at a certain pace. The breath is inhaled and exhaled at certain intervals. The two together make life’s continuation possible by establishing these interrelated cycles. This might explain why a rhythm from an external source facilitates trance. Even more interestingly, the therapeutic use of certain sound frequencies in modern medicine has lately become widespread. Kıran notices the correlation between rhythm and healing and transfers it into the realm of visual perception. Hence, he also paves the way for a synesthetic experience we seldom encounter in printmaking practices.
Another characteristic of Kıran’s works is their ability to simultaneously join the eastern and western art historical narratives. The artist presents the traditional Japanese woodcut print within a typically western installation approach. He finds inspiration in the impressionists and Mehmed Siyah Kalem alike. The two-dimensionality of his works can be reminiscent of cave paintings, hieroglyphs or miniatures. His compositions dominated by wavy motifs both bring to mind Van Gogh’s Starry Night and Hokusai. While paying tribute to the 20th century land art, he also visits Çatalhöyük. Hasan Kıran creates an authentic and liberal universe where the voice of humanity’s collective consciousness can be heard. This universe is a truly unique healing source for those willing to open themselves to it.
Dummmm…
Dummmm…
The break of day is near. Painting the earth and the sky in red, the sun slowly appears behind the mountains, and the golden beams of light emanating from among the leaves dance in the depths of the forest. The roosters’ anxious coos from the distant corners of the plane break the dawn’s silence. The dew from the night leaves the soil to blend with the sweet early morning breeze. The air is covered with the dazzling scents of the delicate wildflowers…
Dummmm…
Dummmm…
The wise wizard opens his eyes and quietly straightens, looking at the immense mountains. The birds’ cheerful twitters join the ecstatic rustles of the bushes flattering with the wind. On the river painted in daylight silver, a timid rabbit’s charcoal eyes appear for a moment. While everyone else sleeps, the wizard, finally at peace for having been able to tell his stories, slowly disappears at the edge of the forest…
İpek Yeğinsü, 2021