Melike Kılıç

Melike Kılıç (b. 1982) is a Turkish artist who tells stories through drawings and delicate paper cut-outs. She grew up in a small village in Şebinkarahisar and currently lives and works in Istanbul. She received her bachelor's degree from Marmara University and her master's degree from the Institute of Fine Arts. She later studied graphic arts and printmaking at the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (Akademie der Bildenden Künste Wien). Kılıç is a storyteller who draws inspiration from her own childhood and creates a unique, intimate world of her own. She describes her works as an imaginary “no-country,” shaped by her experience of migrating from her village to a metropolitan city. Many of her works depict children playing in nature, offering a visual interpretation of this imaginary world beyond conventional earthly boundaries. She employs various artistic elements to create narratives featuring nature as well as magical creatures such as dragons and monsters. Kılıç's artworks transcend the boundary between drawing and sculpture, evolving into an entirely distinctive artistic language. She creates drawings on paper using ink and watercolor, then carefully hand-cuts the outlines of objects and figures. These cut-outs are layered to create a diorama-like environment. Due to their three-dimensional structure, the elements within these miniature worlds appear to come alive, particularly as viewers move around the works. Rather than attracting attention through monumental scale or vivid colors, her works draw viewers closer through the curiosity inspired by their intricate details. The intimate scale and exceptionally delicate cut lines create an atmosphere in which viewers may feel as though they are looking into the entrance of a miniature world. Although Kılıç's drawings are highly intricate and detailed, they never feel overwhelming. They retain a sense of simplicity while conveying a poetic quality. Rather than depicting immediately recognizable scenes, she allows viewers to interpret and construct their own narratives through her artworks. The small details draw the viewer into each composition, inviting prolonged exploration of these framed worlds. This quality in Kılıç's work evokes the storybooks many people encountered during childhood, lending her artworks a distinctive sense of nostalgia.