Elif Sezen

Visual Artist and poet, Elif Sezen was born in Melbourne in 1981. Lived in Turkey between 1992-2007, where she studied painting and sculpture, obtaining her Masters Degree at University of Dokuz Eylul. She is currently a PhD student (Fine Arts) at Monash University.
In the overlapping areas of painting, sculpture, photography, print media, installation, digital media, artist books and poetry, her work explores how deepest aspects of human experience and understanding can come to resonate in visual and poetic forms, in the context of re-conceptualizing memory traces. The realizations unfold into significant truths(!) of human condition: Dichotomies between the simple and the complex…sayable and unsayable…internal and external…absence and presence…irony and melancholy…vulnerability and strength…

Selected Exhibitions
2004- Solo exhibition, Communication Art Gallery, Izmir
2004- ‘New Proposals-New Propositions 12’ exhibition, Borusan Art Gallery, Istanbul
2005- Sculpture group exhibition held by Universiade Organization, Cetin Emec Art Gallery, Izmir
2006- 4th International Student Trienalle, University of Marmara, Istanbul
2007- Painting/Print media solo exhibition, Turkey Is Bank Art Gallery, Izmir
2007-Two Perspective in Print, Print media group exhibition, Project Art Gallery, Wollongong
2007- ‘Contemporary Turkish Arts in Australia’, group exhibition, Nussinov Art Gallery, Redfern
2008- ‘Convergence’, Group Exhibition, Shifted Gallery, Richmond
2008- ‘Out of Bounds, An Interdisciplinary Event’, Monash University, Caulfield
2009- Venice Biennial, Poetic Network: ‘Save the Poetry’, Collective online Poetry performance (Curator: Caterina Davinio), Italy
2010- BSG ‘small works prize’, group exhibition, Melbourne
2011- Gertrude Street Projection Festival, Fitzroy-Melbourne

Presentations
2008- “Poetry and the Trace: An International Poetry Conference”, Victoria State Library, Melbourne
2008- “Missing Persons: An Interdisciplinary Conference for Postgraduates”, University of Western Sydney, Sydney

Awards
2002- Second Prize in the photography competition on the theme ‘Human Rights’, held by Human Rights Presidency, Ankara
2005- Achievement Award in ‘Familiarizing with the Art and Culture of Europe’ project, the Art exhibition titled “Multicultural Identity: Cultural Heritage, Art, Image”, Financed by the European Union, Centre of Contemporary Arts and Culture, Ankara
2010- Shortlisted in ‘Avni Olez Poetry Prize 2010’ in Turkish Literature, Ankara

image displayed:
The Garden
Etching, 24×29cm
Exhibited at Turkey Is Bank Art Gallery, Izmir, 2007