Cigdem Aky
CV
* 1989 | Munich |
2009–2013 | Akademie der Bildenden Künste Munich, Klasse für Malerei/Grafik, Prof. Jerry Zeniuk, Gast Prof. Myriam Holme, Thomas Scheibitz |
2013–2017 | Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste Karlsruhe, Klasse Malerei/Grafik, master student Prof. Helmut Dorner |
Lives and works in Munich |
Grants / Scholarships
2021 | HAP-Grieshaber-Stipendium Kunstmuseum Reutlingen |
Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg | |
2020 | Atelierförderprogramm der Landeshauptstadt München |
2017 | Atelierförderprogramm der Landeshauptstadt München |
2015 | DAAD Preis |
2013 | Oskar-Karl-Forster Stipendium |
Solo exhibitions
2023 | Capturing the Day, Dirimart, Istanbul, Turkey |
Formen und Gezeiten (Duo), Galerie im Venet Haus, Neu-Ulm | |
2022 | Rhythmus, Bernhard Knaus Fine Art, Frankfurt a.M. |
Im Schatten der Bäume, Kunstmuseum Reutlingen | |
Eine Pusteblume im Wind, Evelyn Drewes | Galerie, Hamburg | |
2021 | Auf Wolke sieben, Kunststiftung BW, Stuttgart |
2020 | Duo Show mit Christian Schnurer, Kunstarkaden, Kempten |
Ein blauer Himmel, MEWO Kunsthalle, Memmingen | |
Step by Step, Super+ Centercourt Galerie, München | |
2018 | Solo show, Zweisieben, Karlsruhe |
2017 | Solo show, Galerie Tristan Lorenz, Frankfurt am Main |
2015 | Das Flechtwerk der Farbe, Studio Rose, Schondorf am Ammersee |
Kolorit, Geschwisterraum, Karlsruhe |
Group exhibitions
2024 | DIRIMART, Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Taiwan |
Overview, Galerie Maximilian Hutz, Austria | |
Art Basel Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China | |
ART DÜSSELDORF, Düsseldorf | |
2023 | Just Painting, Projektraum studio. curated by Evelyn Drewes | Galerie, Hamburg |
ON AIR, Schloss Düneck currated by Evelyn Drewes | Galerie und Jan Kage, Moorrege | |
Hidden Future, BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, Munich | |
Art Basel, Hong Kong, China | |
Neue Mitglieder der Münchener Secession, Verein für Original-Radierung, Munich | |
Art Dubai, UAE | |
2022 | Ohne Titel, Kunstmuseum zu Allerheiligen Schaffhausen, Switzerland |
Luxembourg Art Week, Bernhard Knaus Fine Art, Luxembourg | |
Schön Genau, Sammlung Kunstmuseum Heidenheim | |
Malerei und Objekt, Galerie Anja Knoess, Cologne | |
17th Contemporary Istanbul, Dirimart Galerie, Istanbul, Turkey | |
Elb/Hängung #1, Villa am Elbhang, Hamburg | |
Spark Art Fair, Dirimart Galerie, Vienna, Austria | |
2021 | Dirimart Presents VIII, Dirimart, Izmir, Turkey |
Contemporary Istanbul, Dirimart, Istanbul, Turkey | |
Artweeks, Akaretler Pilevneli Galerie, Istanbul, Turkey | |
MISA Discoveries, St. Agnes, Berlin | |
Facing the sun, Kristin Hjellegjerde Galerie, Schloss Goerne, Berlin | |
WABI-SABI, Kristinhjellegjerde Galerie, London, UK | |
I just paint to say I love you, Galerie Strzelski, Stuttgart | |
2020 | Gruppenausstellung, Bernhard Knaus Fine Art, Frankfurt am Main |
salondergegenwart, Hamburg | |
Bewegte Form, Bauverein AG, Darmstadt | |
Baltic Art Weekend 2020, Kunsthalle Rostock | |
Kabinett der abstrakten Kunst, Galerie Kristine Hamann, Wismar | |
Farbraum Sweethome mit Fabian Treiber, Galerie Strzelski, Stuttgart | |
2019 | Jahresausstellung GEDOK, Rathaus Gräfelfing |
20 Positionen, Politische Akademie Tutzing | |
Jahresgaben GEDOK, Munich | |
COLOR ME BADD mit Christian Awe, Galerie Tristan Lorenz, Frankfurt am Main | |
Group show Kunst Block Balve, Munich | |
WELCOME1 mit Olga Golos GEDOK, Munich | |
2018 | Kunst Aktuell, Städtische Galerie Rosenheim |
Hold the paper up to the light, Galerie Tristan Lorenz, Frankfurt am Main | |
Half a pound of Art, Galerie Stoerpunkt, Munich | |
Luxuria, Galerie Stoerpunkt, Munich | |
2017 | ArtMagazin, Starter |
New Positions, Galerie Tristan Lorenz, Frankfurt am Main | |
Roter Kunstsalon, Villa Rot, Ulm | |
Kopfkino Wasserturm Dachau, Munich | |
Kein_ohne_ Orgelfabrik, Durlach | |
2016 | Gruppenausstellung 2, Galerie Tristan Lorenz, Frankfurt am Main |
Happy Little Paintings mit Margarethe Ucinski, Luis Leu, Karlsruhe | |
Color Me BlindMeWo Kunsthalle, Memmingen | |
Top 16, Kunstverein, Mannheim | |
Künstler der Galerie, Geschwisterraum, Karlsruhe | |
2015 | 22. Künstlermesse, Regierungspräsidium, Karlsruhe |
Besetzt Ciao, Studierende Galerie auf Zeit, Karlsruhe | |
Um Fünf, Kösk, Munich | |
2014 | Asia Contemprorary Art, Galerie Artpark, Karlsruhe |
2012 | Die Kunst Deines Nachbarn Städtische Galerie, Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm |
Gruppenausstellung, Target Partners, Munich |
PAINTING AS A DIALOGICAL PROCESS
Cigdem Aky's artistic practice is rooted in a dynamic dialogue with color. In her work, she applies paint and responds intuitively to it, allowing herself to be guided by its properties and behavior on the canvas. Her goal is to create independent color spaces through the interplay of depth, structure, and tone, which transport the viewer into emotional and multi-layered worlds.
Although her works are rooted in the figurative tradition, they have evolved over the years into an abstract visual language. At the heart of her creative process is a form she developed herself, combining geometric precision with the spontaneous gesture of the brushstroke. This recurring structure serves as a visual "vessel," giving color – inherently formless – a clear order. It enables her to focus on what particularly fascinates her: the interaction and effect of colors, their layering, and their transformations in interplay.
Color is the central element of her work and, for Aky, is not just a medium of expression but an independent actor. She is captivated by how colors interact with one another, influence each other, and create new nuances – whether through layering, transparency, or deliberate overpainting. These processes are discovered directly on the canvas, as they cannot be planned in advance. Aky consciously avoids sketches or templates to preserve the vitality and spontaneity of her creations.
Her creative process is a balancing act between control and intuition. She experiments with paint application – ranging from light and transparent to dense and opaque – while ensuring her brushstrokes remain free and vibrant. The color should appear in motion, as if the painting had just come into being. This energy and freshness are essential to her work. At the same time, she emphasizes the depth her paintings convey, drawing viewers into the piece and captivating them visually.
Cigdem Aky’s works are built on three fundamental components: depth, structure, and tone. She uses these elements to design color spaces, each carrying its own emotional character and mood. Although the geometric form in her work remains constant, each painting develops an individual expressive power through its varying color composition. The form serves as her personal signature: an element that combines methodical construction with gestural spontaneity.
Aky’s painting reflects impressions of her surroundings – urban landscapes, light atmospheres, and fleeting moments that inspire her. Each of her works tells of a specific state, emotion, or feeling. Through the rhythmic arrangement of colors and forms, a dynamic interplay emerges, inviting viewers to discover new facets and meanings in her paintings again and again.
For Cigdem Aky, painting is an ongoing exploration. With every brushstroke, she examines the possibilities of color, navigates the relationship between gesture and structure, and seeks ever-new ways to visualize emotions and experiences. Her works are more than mere compositions – they are vivid expressions of energy, depth, and movement.