Suffering and beauty become a metaphor for canvas artworks

Taner Ceylan loves to discover new things and research to fulfill his desire to create. His paintings show his curiosities in life and how he is able to ask the right questions. Ceylan's emotionally charged paintings also reflect his personal life. His state of mind reflects in his paintings as he once again shares the technical mastery of 20th century photo-realism. 

In his new exhibition titled "I Love You" he draws inspiration from the portrayal of religious subjects in old master paintings and the aesthetic of Hegel's approach to suffering and reconciliation. Somehow, Ceylan succeeds in showing the viewer it is possible for romantic art to fulfill the purpose of art and lead the artist to a true freedom of spirit. In his paintings filled with emotional realism he shows that beauty can be linked to suffering. 

Speaking to Hürriyet Daily News, Ceylan said, "Looking at the old masters of painting, I realized that we were presented with humanity's suffering, cruelty, love and submission, which is juxtaposed with physical beauty." Ceylan added he was faced with questions that he had never thought of before, nor would have ever imagined asking. "Could pain and suffering actually bring beauty and happiness? Is suffering erotic? Is pain legitimate?" With these questions in his head, he started researching. 

Ceylan might be one of the best researchers among the painters of his era. He loves to discover and research. According to him, this is a must to ensure he does not repeat himself. This time, his research took him to Christianity's philosophical existence and how love and pain exist together in one body. "Everything started as I encountered the sculpture 'Christ the Man of Sorrows,'" he said. 

Even though Ceylan shows the viewer an...