Improving - the motivation of painter Alpay Efe
He wishes he was older sometimes. Older than now - older than 23. Then he wouldn't always be the youngest. And his age wouldn't matter at exhibitions or vernissages - places where Alpay Efe presents his pictures.
Maybe it's the combination of age, nationality, style and talent that make the Oberhausen-based painter interesting for art lovers? However: Talent, that's something he didn't have, he says. An affinity with the arts, yes - maybe a stronger affinity with aesthetics than others. It is the unimposing motifs that he is interested in: people whose aesthetics cannot be seen at a first glance, for example. "I don't want to show perfect beauty but find the particular. It could be the touch of a smile, light or form.
Telling stories with the art of painting
Alpay Efe has been drawing for more than ten years. Every day. Five to seven hours. At the age of 15, he started to take on commissioned work - drawing comics at games and comic fairs at first, illustrations were to follow. Yet he lost interest in illustrations. "You tell the stories of other people. I didn't want to be a means to an end but rather tell my own stories. Painting was the best thing to do to achieve this. Today, I paint figuratively and realistically using oil paint on wood. That's what I really enjoy because the material has completely different characteristics than canvas."
The Arts Academy in Duesseldorf provided assistance to work independently
"At some point, I started taking my passion more seriously - I wanted to live up to my own standards. I wanted to get better; to improve my technique. That's still what drives me today - it was and it is my inner motivation. Thus, it was a logical consequence to become an artist." Alpay Efe has been enrolled at the Arts Academy in Duesseldorf since 2006. He aims at achieving a degree as state-certified artist but it's not necessary for his art or his business. Studying is different than expected anyway. "I was looking for some sort of a basic training to learn the trade; to learn something about materials, for instance. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. What I learnt is how to work independently. I learnt the following: If I want something, I cannot expect others to do it for me but I have to take care of it myself."
He has overcome the entrance hurdles to the world of arts: he is represented by the kunst-raum gallery which represents him on international art fairs such as the KIAF in Seoul, Korea or the C.A.R. (Contemporary Art Ruhr) in Essen, Germany. At the end of the year, kunst-raum will host a single exhibition featuring only his artworks.
Alpay Efe works a lot. Despite all artist clichés he works a whole lot. Between 5 and 6 o'clock, he starts his day which is structured by fixed working hours in his studio that he shares with artist Lioba Brückner: "I've created my own rhythm because order and structure are important to me. An artist's life is not romantic but it consists of much physical and mental work. Bohème – that might have been. The things I achieved is what I achieved through ambition, hard work and energy. The ideas don't just come to you. The final painting only accounts for 20% of his working hours. There is a lot of work and time behind it: Sketches need to be drawn, things have to be tried out, ideas must be put in concrete terms, models must be engaged and requisites have to be organised. And before you finally start painting, most of the work has already been done."
Despite all the work, Alpay Efe is aware of his privileged position. Contrary to the majority of his fellow students, he can make a living from his work: "I'm really happy and proud to be doing what I always wanted to do. That's how I want it to go on. I see things positively and I can't wait to get up tomorrow morning."
Photos: Sandra Anni Lang/Alpay Efe
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Maybe it's the combination of age, nationality, style and talent that make the Oberhausen-based painter interesting for art lovers? However: Talent, that's something he didn't have, he says. An affinity with the arts, yes - maybe a stronger affinity with aesthetics than others. It is the unimposing motifs that he is interested in: people whose aesthetics cannot be seen at a first glance, for example. "I don't want to show perfect beauty but find the particular. It could be the touch of a smile, light or form.Telling stories with the art of painting
Alpay Efe has been drawing for more than ten years. Every day. Five to seven hours. At the age of 15, he started to take on commissioned work - drawing comics at games and comic fairs at first, illustrations were to follow. Yet he lost interest in illustrations. "You tell the stories of other people. I didn't want to be a means to an end but rather tell my own stories. Painting was the best thing to do to achieve this. Today, I paint figuratively and realistically using oil paint on wood. That's what I really enjoy because the material has completely different characteristics than canvas." The Arts Academy in Duesseldorf provided assistance to work independently
"At some point, I started taking my passion more seriously - I wanted to live up to my own standards. I wanted to get better; to improve my technique. That's still what drives me today - it was and it is my inner motivation. Thus, it was a logical consequence to become an artist." Alpay Efe has been enrolled at the Arts Academy in Duesseldorf since 2006. He aims at achieving a degree as state-certified artist but it's not necessary for his art or his business. Studying is different than expected anyway. "I was looking for some sort of a basic training to learn the trade; to learn something about materials, for instance. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. What I learnt is how to work independently. I learnt the following: If I want something, I cannot expect others to do it for me but I have to take care of it myself."
He has overcome the entrance hurdles to the world of arts: he is represented by the kunst-raum gallery which represents him on international art fairs such as the KIAF in Seoul, Korea or the C.A.R. (Contemporary Art Ruhr) in Essen, Germany. At the end of the year, kunst-raum will host a single exhibition featuring only his artworks.
An artist's life must be structured
Alpay Efe works a lot. Despite all artist clichés he works a whole lot. Between 5 and 6 o'clock, he starts his day which is structured by fixed working hours in his studio that he shares with artist Lioba Brückner: "I've created my own rhythm because order and structure are important to me. An artist's life is not romantic but it consists of much physical and mental work. Bohème – that might have been. The things I achieved is what I achieved through ambition, hard work and energy. The ideas don't just come to you. The final painting only accounts for 20% of his working hours. There is a lot of work and time behind it: Sketches need to be drawn, things have to be tried out, ideas must be put in concrete terms, models must be engaged and requisites have to be organised. And before you finally start painting, most of the work has already been done."
Despite all the work, Alpay Efe is aware of his privileged position. Contrary to the majority of his fellow students, he can make a living from his work: "I'm really happy and proud to be doing what I always wanted to do. That's how I want it to go on. I see things positively and I can't wait to get up tomorrow morning."
Photos: Sandra Anni Lang/Alpay Efe
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Thu, 17.02.2011
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