“There is no such thing as losing hope and drifting in the dark.
Remember, living under the same sky is a resistance.”
—Nazim Hikmet
What we call life is actually a resistance armor that we put on every morning. One day, a word, a painting, a moment reminds us of this truth like a slap. Taner Ceylan’s work “Boxer” is exactly such a reminder. A face covered in blood… but still standing. Just like the artist’s own life, just like our lives.
Taner Ceylan
tanerceylan.com
Resignation, 2016, Oil on canvas, 200x140cm
https://www.dropbox.com/t/SovqNlhD3n2SHyxe
Taner Ceylan is one of the most valuable living Turkish painters. He is one of the most striking representatives of the hyperrealism movement. When you look at his paintings, you see not just a scene, but also a state of mind, a struggle, and even an entire life. “We were covered in blood, but we still haven’t had that final punch,” Taner Ceylan says in an interview! That last sentence summarizes the resilience of the human spirit.
Have you examined the painting “Boxer” carefully? Two boxers with their mouths and noses torn apart… Tired but still fighting. They have not fallen to the ground despite being punched left and right. As if each one of them is shouting, “I am not defeated”. Let us take a closer look at that painting now. Imagine: You are also in that dark ring. You are in the crowd. Adrenaline is through the roof, shouts, applause, whistles… even the smell of that sweaty, damp hall may be reaching your nose. You feel it, don’t you? However, the funny thing is this: There are no spectators in the painting. That crazy crowd is left out of the painting.
Why?
Because Ceylan’s focus is on the boxers. Not the audience. It does not matter what that crowd says or shouts. The real one is the one fighting, struggling, shedding blood in the middle of the ring. That is you. That is I. All of us.
Taner Ceylan
tanerceylan.com
Spiritual, 2008, oil on canvas, 140 x 200 cm
https://www.dropbox.com/t/kjdkzdDqnFYdbC9I
Being Yourself Is a Resistance…
I met Taner Ceylan at Istanbul Modern in 2011. He came to the seminar “Collecting in Contemporary Art” as a speaker. He was extremely intelligent, modest and talented. He brought creativity not only to his canvases but also to his life. That day I understood; some people are not artists, but works of art in their own right.
Taner’s artistic journey was not easy. He was not accepted to galleries for a long time because of his erotic themed works. Far from being rejected, he was ostracized. However, he did not give up. He created his own gallery, his own collection, his own path. He transformed a secluded place in Tophane into an art temple with his intelligence and the creativity of his friends. They organized a ‘secret’ opening that only invitees could attend. The feeling of being the “chosen one” touches the weakest point of human psychology. “That night, everyone was there,” he said in his speech…And Taner Ceylan became an artist who was talked about overnight and whose works were sold out. It is impossible not to admire his intelligence and creativity, and not to be inspired!
Courage, creativity and never giving up… Ceylan’s story is not just the story of an artist, but of everyone who can be themselves.
Silence the Voices, Listen to Yourself!
We all live like boxers in that ring. We take punches. We try not to fall. However, the most dangerous blow comes not from outside, but from inside. Those voices… “You can’t do it!”, “What will the world say?”, “Who are you, who is this life?”… Those real punches knock a person down.
Over time, you realize: Those who try to gain approval from others throughout their lives actually lose their own voice. People shaped by the expectations of the outside world lose their inner essence. Women who are successful in business life but tired on the inside… People who are “made” in the eyes of others but always fall short in their own eyes… Most of their childhoods were woven with conditional love. People who cannot feel valuable without approval… They carry the vulnerability of that inner child at every age.
I would like to ask you this: When life is so short and precious, is it really worth living with the voices of others.
Should we spend our lives worrying about what the world will say, what our family wants, and what society deems appropriate? Can someone who cannot make their own decisions with their own voice be an individual? On the other hand, will they remain just a faded figure in the shadow of the majority?
Final Word: Staying Up Is an Art
The boxer in Taner Ceylan’s painting is actually you. The fists are your fears, your unfinished stories. The crowd is shouting again: some are applauding, some are whistling. Nevertheless, if you are the focal point of the painting, their voices are just background music. What matters is whether you survive.
Moreover, yes… Staying up is art. Living, truly living… is resistance.
“Do I have to give up myself for you to love me?”
This question is perhaps the only question we should ask ourselves every morning. In addition, the answer should always be the same: No. Because there is no more valuable success, no more applause, than being yourself.
We started with Nazım, let’s end with him:
“Remember; living under the same sky is a resistance.”
I wish everyone a good week and a life full of awareness…
Tugba Yazici
Multidisciplinary Artist & Producer
Just the author for today…
