Esra Gezer
Born in Istanbul in 1995, Esra Gezer completed her high school education at Maçka Akif Tunçel Anatolian Vocational High School in the Plastic Arts Department. In 2014, she was accepted into the Ceramics and Glass Department at Marmara University Faculty of Fine Arts, from which she graduated in 2018. During her student years, she participated in the Eskişehir Fired Clay Symposium and interned at the Çanakkale Ceramic Art Workshop.
Her works have been featured in exhibitions such as Base, MÜGSF Triennial, Take Good Care of Your World, and Jumbo X Base Timeless Journey. Her pieces are included in the Mustafa Taviloğlu Collection and the Kale Group Collection. Focusing on the concepts of memory, remembrance, and social healing in her artistic practice, she produces ceramic and installation works. She continues to teach ceramics in various workshops and carries on with her artistic production.
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Defne Parman
Defne Parman began her undergraduate studies in the sculpture-metal department at Paris E.N.S.A.A.M.A – Olivier de Serres Academy of Fine Arts. In 2016, she continued her academic journey by obtaining a second bachelor's degree from Paris Sorbonne Nouvelle University in the field of theatre and event design. Shaping her art practice with an interdisciplinary perspective, Parman has participated in various theatre productions, festivals, and art events in London, Paris, Brussels, and Istanbul.
Her works question the concepts of memory and forgetting through material and form. Using elements like fabric, cotton, and stitched words, she creates abstract representations of memory. In her art, she explores the dynamic nature of remembering and forgetting, as well as the resurfacing of memories that continue to exist in the subconscious. In 2024, she participated in major platforms such as the Mamut Art Project and the 41st Akbank Contemporary Artists Award Exhibition. She continues her practice between Istanbul and Paris.
Halının Altındakiler | Under the Carpet
Defne Parman & Esra Gezer
08.03.2025 - 15.05.2025
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offgrid art project, a unique platform inviting artists to collaborate, presents the exhibition "Under the Carpet", curated by Nilay Yerebasmaz. Featuring textile artist Defne Parman and ceramic artist Esra Gezer, the exhibition will be open to visitors at offgrid art project from April 8 to May 10, 2025. "Under the Carpet" encourages reflection on trauma, mourning, and the processes of forgetting—experiences embedded in our collective memory yet often overlooked. Through distinct materials and techniques, Parman and Gezer explore the intersection of personal memories and everyday life.
Memory is an ever-evolving phenomenon—shaped, suppressed, and sometimes deliberately erased at both individual and collective levels. "Under the Carpet" traces the imprints of memory, prompting visitors to contemplate the meaning of remembering and forgetting. Defne Parman brings memories concealed beneath layers into physical form through fabric and cotton-based works, while Esra Gezer’s ceramic and porcelain pieces emphasize the healing power of recollection and the burdens carried by collective memory.
Frayed fabric and cotton fragments evoke persistent memories resisting oblivion, seeping from the depths of consciousness. Meanwhile, ceramic and porcelain works surface the weight of the past and the silenced narratives of memory. This exhibition opens a space to reconsider the lost, erased, and overshadowed while underscoring the significance of mourning and reconciling with the past.
By uncovering obscured traces of memory, "Under the Carpet" invites viewers into deep introspection. Shedding light on the emotional and social dimensions of remembering and forgetting, the exhibition contributes to the ongoing reconstruction of collective memory.
To watch the artist talk held as part of the exhibition: https://youtu.be/HlOghDHpDAs?feature=shared
