AYSEL BODUR
– Born 1977, Turkey.
– Lives and works in Amsterdam since 1996.
– Studied photography at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam (1997-2001).
– Stopped photography activities in 2006.Returned to photography in 2011.
– Currently working on new art projects and also performs commissioned photography projects.
Many of Aysel Bodur’s photographs have been purchased by Gemeente Museum Den Haag, Fries Museum, Abn-Amro Collection, Koc Holding Collection, Torch Gallery, Paul Andriesse Gallery, Bodo Niemann Gallery, van Zoetendaal Gallery, Grusenmeyer Gallery and personal collectors for their permanent collection.
All images on the Art Photography site are available as limited edition archival prints. For further information about purchasing a print please contact the artist.
Aysel Bodur about her work:
“The main question for me, as it might be for most people, is generally human psychology and in particular the hidden and the intimate aspects of it. Psychology expresses itself in every moment of daily life and in most sublime way in art.
Photography has been the form of art to demonstrate the most hidden intimate part of human psychology in its all pureness and nakedness. In this respect, I define my art as “therapeutic” photography; because in the process of photographing the model interacts with the environment, artist, nudity, time and the lens. The result the frame on which the model confronts his/her most cover psychology.
In my first project I was the model myself. Because I was the best material that I knew at that time. I photographed myself naked at unexpected locations like in a graveyard, on railways, etc.
To discover the meaning of nakedness for others, in my second project I worked with naturist. Particularly to understand their believe of pure nakedness.
The next step was to use the nakedness in the context of culture which leads to limits and taboos of people as social beings by photographing my father, mother and my family, who live in Turkey, in a bathhouse. I created a new relationship with dimensions like intimacy and believes.
To find my limits of perception I took double portraits of myself with specific features like transsexual, porno star, little person etc… The question was who are they, who am I?
During this process I became more involved with the little person Annemiek and decided to show her inner soul and mind by making series of portraits in her house or outside locations. Her unaccepted beauty confronted with herself and others.
By putting my myself and my models in certain situation, I create a moment and a form where I experiment aspects of psychology. This experiment is the most important part of my art. That’s why my work is a theatrical and performing art.”
Award / Prize
-2001 July Esther Kroon Price Photography 2001
Assignments and subsidies
-2013 January – December ‘project/werksubsidie’ Mondriaan Fonds Amsterdam
-2003 October ‘-annemiek- een Amsterdamse personage’ Amsterdamse Fonds voor Kunsten,Amsterdam
-2003-2004- -startstipendium- from Fonds voor Beelbeende Kunsten en vormgeving en Bouwkunst, Amsterdam
-2001-2002- -startstipendium- from Fonds voor Beelbeende Kunsten en vormgeving en Bouwkunst, Amsterdam
-2001 December In Opdracht –defacto-
Represented by
-2002 / 2006- Grusenmeyer Art Gallery, Deurle, Belgium
-2001 / 2005- Gallery Diana Stigter, Amsterdam, The Netherlands