Description
Gizem Candan was born in 1996 in Istanbul, Turkey. She earned two undergraduate degrees, in Plastic Arts and Painting and in Graphic Design, from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Yeditepe University in Istanbul from 2014 to 2019. She then moved to Toronto where she studied 3D modelling and visual effects at Humber College.
Gizem Candan’s work is inspired by her surroundings and the people in her life. Her works explore psychological states, using multidisciplinary techniques in oil painting and assemblage. Her subjects range from self-portraits and portraits of people she has met, to puppets she has created, to objects in her environment. Her characters exude stoicism and a supple energy that is both graceful and unsettling. Much of her work is introspective, juxtaposing objects and people to explore states of tension and suspense. She works with a vibrant palette based primarily in oils, with canvas, linen, and paper as her supports.
Gizem Candan’s works have been exhibited in Canada and Turkey, and are held in many private collections and the Special Collections of the Toronto Reference Library. She is currently based in Toronto.
