Ahmet Özcan creates complex illustrations and paintings of imagined beings who are often darkly comical and colorfully grotesque. His works reflect an intense dialogue between the real and the surreal. His unconventional compositions and curious subjects defy expectations and give his work an ambiguous yet refreshingly original and universal character.


Ahmet works with many mediums, including paper, canvas, cloth, ceramic, wood, printed photographs, and digital works. By using a wide variety of materials, the artist aims to promote diversity in his work and present his characters and subjects in the medium that best reflect the ideas and feelings that inspire him. Themes that shape his works include surreal beings, mythological stories, horror films, and his dream world. His concepts reject everyday banality and instead instill fantasy and emotion into the viewer. While maintaining fluidity and personality, his works are rendered thoughtfully with an acute attention to composition, line, and color.


Ahmet was born in Mersin, Turkey, and has held numerous group and solo exhibitions in Turkey and in Europe. He is widely considered to be one of the most innovative young artists in Turkey today. He held his first solo exhibition in the United States in January, 2014. 

2010  “Local Illustrators 02” group exhibition // Mtaar, Istanbul, Turkey

2010  “8th Korea-Turkey Exchange Exhibition” // Istanbul, Turkey

2011  “Not Included” group photography exhibition // Mersin, Turkey

2012  “House of Dreams” personal show // Edisyon, Istanbul, Turkey

2012  “A Monster’s Room” personal exhibition // Hush Galery, Istanbul, Turkey

2012  “Same Language” group exhibition // Mitte Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

2012  “İkametgah Kadıköy 02” group exhibition // Istanbul, Turkey

2013  “Spring Collective” group exhibition // Artnext Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey

2013  “Entropy” group exhibition // Artnext Gallery, Istanbul, Turkey

2013  “Stories From Our People” group exhibition // Halka Art Project, Istanbul, Turkey

2014  “The Habitat of Monsters” at Le Snoot, Georgia, U.S.A.

2014  "Stoyoyoke In Brazil” contest exhibition, Confraria Club, Brazil

2014   Ritter Butzke, Berlin, Germany

2014  "The CharacterSelfie Project" Exhibition // The Pictoplasma Portrait Gallery,
             Berlin, Germany

2014, 2015  "The CharacterSelfie Project" Exhibition // Museum for Contemporary Art MARCO,
             Monterrey, Mexico

2015 "Mediterranean Salt" group exhibition // Urban Spree, Berlin, Germany

2015 "Habitat" solo exhibiton // Torun, Ankara, Turkey