Renan Kaleli

I am an Istanbul-based artist trained in various art studios in Grenoble in France, and New York and Miami in the USA. Using mixed media — through paint, photographs, graphics, colours, and forms — I intend my art to expand our curiosity and imagination so we better connect, understand and adapt to our ever-changing world. Humans cannot stop innovating and creating, which leads to a technologically advanced, energy-intensive way of life that takes a toll on the environment, the animals and the plants which are voiceless and suffer as a result of our man-made environmental disasters. This includes carbon pollution which leads to global warming. However, we are now in the midst of a coronavirus pandemic that spread to humans from bats. The quick spread of the virus around the world has put the breaks on our way of life, with enormous financial repercussions. Hopefully, this incident serves as a wake-up call, so we start living in a more environmentally respectful way, in harmony with the animals as well as plants. In balance.