Erkin Keskin

Selected Workshops:
2022 Akçaabat Municipality 100th Anniversary of Our Republic Painting Workshop, Trabzon/TURKEY
2022 Paris Trabzon Association Painting Workshop, Paris/FRANCE
2021 Akçaabat Municipality National Anthem Year Painting Workshop, Trabzon/TURKEY
2018 Tepebaşı Municipality International Painting Workshop, Eskişehir/TURKEY
2017 Beylikdüzü Municipality International Painting Workshop, Istanbul/TURKEY
2016 UKKSA Workshop, Muğla, TURKEY
2016 Potakal Çiçeği Art Colony, Sakarya, TURKEY
2015 Piriştina University Original Print Workshop, Piriştina/KOSOVO
2014 Near East University 5th International Akademiada Workshop, Nicosia / TRNC

Selected International Exhibitions:
2015 18th International Varna Print Biennial, Varna/BULGARIA
2015 Tokyo International Mini Print Triennial Exhibition, Tokyo / JAPAN
2015 International Modern Exlibris Biennial Exhibition, Malbork / POLAND
2014 Jogja Mini Print Biennial, Yogyakarta / INDONESIA
2014 International Lajuazui Meiyuancup Exlibris Collection Exhibition, Shanghai / CHINA
2013 Ege University 5th International Egeart Art Days Mini Print Exhibition, Izmir /
2013 Tribuna Graphic 2013 International Print Exhibition, Cluj, Nabaco / ROMANIA
2013 International Varna Print Biennial, Varna, BULGARIA
2013 17th International Varna Print Biennial, Varna / BULGARIA
2013 Istanbul Exlibris Association Exlibris Exhibition, London / ENGLAND
2012 VII. Graphic Arts Triennial Exhibition, Bitola / MACEDONIA
2012 2nd International Ex-libris - Mini Print Competition, Guangzhou / CHINA
2012 19th International Print Triennial, Grenchen / SWITZERLAND
2012 Museum of Modern Art International Ex-libris Collection Exhibition, Minsk / BELARUS
2011 International ‘San Mini Cup’ Ex-libris Competition, Shanghai / CHINA
2011 Gazi University International Art Symposium / ANKARA
2011 “Inter-Art” International Exhibition, Shumen / BULGARIA
2011 3rd Woodcut Competition, Kiwa / JAPAN
2010 8th International Engraving Triennial, Chamalières / FRANCE
2010 1st International Ex-libris and Mini-print Biennial Exhibition, Guangzhou / CHINA
2010 International Mini-Print Biennial Exhibition ALBA / ROMANIA
2010 33rd FISAE International Exlibris Competition Exhibition, Istanbul / TURKEY
2009 6th Graphic Arts Biennial Exhibition, Bitola / MACEDONIA
2009 A.D.A.F.A VI International Small Engraving Exhibition, Cremona / ITALY
2009 Ankara Exlibris Association Exlibris Exhibition, Yoroslav / RUSSIA
2009 1st International Mini Print and Exlibris Competition, Milan, ITALY
2008 2nd International Mini-Print Biennial Exhibition, ALBA / ROMANIA
2008 5th International Graphic Arts Biennial Exhibition / SPAIN
2008 1st International Printmaking Biennial Exhibition / ISTANBUL
2008 International Mail Art Exhibition Alba/ROMANIA
2008 III. International CGD Ex-libris Competition, BELGIUM
2008 International Print and Ex-libris Exhibition, BELGIUM
2008 Conntratella Engraving Biennial,Taragona/SPAIN
2007 5th International Ural Print Triennial/Bashkortostan/RUSSIA
2007 International Mail Art Exhibition Alba/Romania
2007 Dokuz Eylül University 2nd International Visual Arts Meeting, IZMIR
2007 Douro International Engraving Biennial,Alijo/PORTUGAL
2007 Grafix International Mini Print Biennial,Breclav/CZECH REPUBLIC
2007 4-Part Group Exhibition,Bayer Gallery,Stara Zagora/BULGARIA
2007 8th International Graphic Arts Biennial (Dry Excavation), Uzice/YUGOSLAVIA
2007 Ankara 2nd International Ex-libris Competition Exhibition, Ankara/TURKEY
2007 Ankara Ex-libris Association Exhibition Stoa Cultural Center, Eastern Helsinki/FINLAND
2007 Ankara Ex-libris Association Ex-libris Exhibition Snap Gallery, Edmonton/CANADA
2007 4th Graphic Arts Biennial Exhibition, Bitola/Macedonia
2007 2nd Woodcut Competition, Kiwa/JAPAN
2006 R.M.D.2nd International Printmaking Competition Exhibition, ISTANBUL
2006 International Mini-Print Biennial Exhibition ALBA/ROMANIA
2006 5th Egypt International Print Triennial, Cairo/EGYPT
2005 Cluj International Mini-Print Biennial Exhibition / ROMANIA
2005 International Original Print Biennial Exhibition, Varna / BULGARIA
2005 1st International Exlibris – Mini Print Biennial – Gniezno / POLAND
2005 Dokuz Eylül University 1st International Visual Arts Meeting, IZMIR
2005 International Group Painting Exhibition, BURSA, / TURKEY
2005 R.H.M.D. International 1st Mini Print Competition Exhibition, / ISTANBUL
2004 International Group Painting Exhibition, XANTHI, / GREECE
2003 4th Graphic Arts Biennial Exhibition, Bitola / MACEDONIA
1999 29th International D Y O Painting Competition Exhibition

National Competition Exhibitions:
2015 15th Şefik Bursalı Painting Competition Exhibition Painting and Sculpture Museum/ ANKARA
2010 Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University Engraving Competition Exhibition, ÇANAKKALE
2010 İzmir Painting and Sculpture Museum Painting Competition Exhibition, İZMİR
2008 Ankara Bar Association Painting and Original Print Competition/ ANKARA
2007 68th State Painting and Sculpture Competition Exhibition Painting and Sculpture Museum/ İZMİR
2006 67th State Painting and Sculpture Competition Exhibition Painting and Sculpture Museum/ ANKARA
2005 66th State Painting and Sculpture Competition Exhibition Painting and Sculpture Museum/ ANKARA
2002 63rd State Painting and Sculpture Competition Exhibition Painting and Sculpture Museum/ ANKARA
2000 12th Tekel Painting Competition Exhibition/ İSTANBUL
1997 Gül Derman Painting Competition Exhibition/ İSTANBUL

Many of his works are in private collections, national and international museums.

On Erkin Keskin’s Engravings

In this era where the globalizing and shrinking world is virtually being re-established, it is seen that people resort to various tools in their efforts to reveal and reflect their own lifestyle and way of thinking. People who create their own reality reshape life as a result of their daily life psychology, various perceptions and changes. The reality of Erkin Keskin, one of today’s artists, and the images he reflects to the viewer constitute the entirety of their perceptions and value judgments about life. By activating the suppressed thoughts that people cannot reflect outside, he creates a sense of satisfaction with his visuals. The viewer who comes face to face with these works also tries to find himself. The existence of semi-comprehensible and supporting abstract forms directs his dreams. In Keskin’s works, the perceived originality is not the objects themselves, but the surprising effects of images that are hard to find. In his paintings, he makes our thoughts personal to the person. He emphasizes that we are more special than we think with his magic mask. By starting the narrative with the visible reality, he looks for the viewer who will dare to wear it, separating its boundaries from society. The artist has skillfully used the basic design elements in his compositions. Although the application stages are a difficult process, the resulting work gives the impression that it came out in a flash and is deliberately out of control. Such works may seem haphazard at first, it is important to distinguish this approach in artists such as Jackson Pollock; they are seen as if they have no beginning or end. Such works made in the abstract expressionist style turn into a controlled form of expression by the artist. Works that are resolved in the problematic of art itself go through a much more difficult process than the reflection of apparent reality. By seeing the mold preparation and printing stages in printmaking, it will be inevitable to show a sacred respect to the technique. The artist is a person who knows how to renew himself. For this reason, he is constantly in search. Every problem creates its own solution. In this context, the first condition for transformation in creativity is sincerity and devotion. He is one of our devoted artists who uses traditional printing techniques in creating his works and ensures that the metal engraving technique in our country revolves around ritual and tradition. The creative individual chooses the most appropriate technique for expressing himself. For Erkin Keskin, original printmaking is also a traditional art game. In the technical field, his success in showing his creativity arouses admiration in the audience. The act of creating something new by starting from the existing is reflected in the tools he uses, as well as in the work of art. The skill of finding the most suitable tool in the stage of creating a form of expression is based on the desire not to be satisfied and to constantly renew himself. We see the dynamism of transformation in the artist within this behavior and perspective. A material he picks up suddenly turns into something with a different function. The ‘masat’ used in sharpening a knife suddenly becomes a mesotint tool for Keskin. The use of creative materials in engraving works is directly related to the concept of artistic creativity in the problem-solving process. Erkin Keskin, whose works we are used to seeing in national exhibitions and events, is also closely followed with his successes in international events. His paintings are like September and make the audience addicted to him. Behind each magical piece, we have the opportunity to watch his works with an extremely simplified form of expression and visual feasts reflecting the artist's experiences.

Mahmut DURMUS, 2013