Selçuk Demirel is an international illustrator who regularly publishes his work as books. He is mostly known for his critical and humorous approaches to global concepts such as culture, media, economy, politics and nature. Demirel’s work varies from book illustrations to magazine and book covers, from drawing albums to publications for children, from postcards to posters. These drawings, in which the three-dimensional effect of painting, graphics, photography and even sculpture are being recognized, make various associations instead of giving a direct message to the viewer. The artist’s drawings touch upon the realities that even photographs cannot capture and written works cannot express thoroughly, with their unique symbolic language, humor and thoughtful details. Demirel states that his drawings do not tell a specific story, he rather tries to stand at a point that criticizes his self and comes to life with the contributions of those who look at him. His themes mostly focus on human and woman rights, religious and political pressures, supervised thought and freedom of thought, geopolitics, conflicts, war, peace, economic crisis and nature.
Selçuk Demirel (1954, Artvin), published his first drawings while he was still in high school. After completing his undergradute studies at Middle East Technical University Faculty for Architecture, he started working in the “Maden İş Sendikası” in 1975 while drawing cartoons for newspapers and magazines such as Cumhuriyet, Politika and Yeni Ulus. Demirel had his first solo show “Akla Kara 1” in 1974, and also designed many posters with political content. In 1978, he moved to France and studies Fine Arts. Demirel, whose works were published in French, Swedish and Dutch publications, started to be featured in publications such as Le Monde, Le Monde Diplomatique, Le Nouvel Observateur, The Observer, Newsweek, and Fortune. Exhibitions include; Gallerie delle Prigioni (Treviso, 2020), Institut Français (Istanbul, 2014), Galeri Nev İstanbul (1990-2014), Galerie des Lumières 55 (Nanterre, 1997), Librairie La Hune (Paris, 1999); Center Georges Pompidou (Paris, 1984). Some of the books published by the artist in recent years are; PSI: From the Subconscious to Surreal (Yapı Kredi Publications, 2020), What Time Is It? Selçuk Demirel & John Berger (Yapı Kredi Publications, 2019), Kıyıda Tek Başına (Yapı Kredi Publications, 2019), Yazarların Yüzünden (Yapı Kredi Publications, 2017), Elma (Metis Publications, 2017), Paper Cats (Yapı Kredi Publications, 2016), Portakal Mavisi Bir Dünya (Yapı Kredi Publications, 2016). Demirel lives and works in Paris.