Madison Arts Council Displays Art by Hasan Sayilir
East meets West in Western North Carolina at a new exhibit hosted by the Madison County Arts Council (MCAC) and featuring paintings by Hasan Sayilir. Free and open to the public, the exhibit runs through December 2 and opens Friday, October 14, with a reception from 5–7 p.m.
Sayilir (pronounced ‘sailor’) is of Turkish descent and studied at the Academy for Fine Arts in Istanbul; the Atlanta College of Art; the University of Georgia’s study abroad program in Cortona, Italy; and the Instituto Allende in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where he completed his BFA. His fine arts focus has been augmented by explorations in graphic design, industrial design and ceramics. The subject matter in his works ranges from abstract expressionism to dreamscapes and fantasy to realism.
“Don’t put yourself into a category,” one of his mentors told him when he was growing up in Turkey. “Consequently I have never felt constrained to any particular, medium, style or area of expression,” Sayilir told The Laurel. “My inspiration is from observation of nature and society and from internal reflection.”
Sayilir has exhibited in solo and group shows at galleries and museums in Mexico and the US, and his paintings are in private collections in Mexico, Turkey and the US, including private collections in Asheville, Fairview and Marshall.
“Madison County has always embraced the new and different,” says Laura Boosinger, executive director of MCAC. “This is a great opportunity to showcase an artist working in the Southeastern US, but with an international perspective. We are delighted to spotlight the work of an artist with a different cultural viewpoint.”
The Madison County Arts Council’s Arts Center is located at 90 South Main Street in Marshall. For more information call 828.649.1301 or visit madisoncountyarts.com.
