Bubi, one of the leading figures in Turkish contemporary art, reinterprets the concept of religious icons in a personal, everyday, and ironic style in his exhibition “Icons” at DG Art Project.
Turkish contemporary artist Bubi will meet with the public at DG Art Project from April 2–29, 2026, with the “Icons” exhibition curated by Dr. Zeynep Öztürk. In the exhibition, Bubi redefines the conventional concept of the icon through his own language, transforming religious connotations from Eastern and Western art into a narrative that is everyday, personal, and at times ironic.
The artist reexamines the concept of the icon in his works; through figures ranging from ordinary people to weapons, animals to comic book heroes, and the “other,” he questions the logic of sanctification. Thus, the series invites the viewer not merely to look, but to become part of the inquiry. Works ranging from popular characters like “Superman,” “Batman,” and “Red Kit” to “Family” and “Self-Portrait” present a fragmented yet coherent visual language belonging to Bubi’s world.
Through the tanks, catapults, and cannons featured in the exhibition, the artist offers a critical perspective on these objects, which have been etched into human history with blood. He explains his approach to the sanctification of weapons and their identification with individual identities with the following words: “I find it surprising that they sanctify weapons and, at times, identify with them.”
Bubi does not limit himself to using only paint in his work; he also combines various techniques such as cardboard, fabric, nails, tar stitching, patches, gold leaf, and digital printing. In this sense, “Icons” is not merely a series but is also regarded as a retrospective of the style the artist has developed over the years.
The artist says he begins his creative process not through deliberation but through a state of intense, momentary focus: “In art, the first person singular doesn’t exist anyway.”
For the full article: https://artcolumn.com.tr/bubiden-ikonalar-sergisi/
