Mustafa Boga

“My work examines the differences between art and documentary and how contemporary multi-media manipulate our understanding of current affairs. I am interested in the boundaries that separate the viewing of events as a witness and my desire to tell stories. I have a background in journalism and film and I have brought these skills into play in my fine art practice. My work is a way of narrating my background both emotionally and culturally, not just by portraying with images, but by how they are reserved and recollected in my mind. They are inspired by family history, childhood memories, and personal experiences. I believe that everything comes from the same source and you can tell the same story in many different ways over a period of time. My works are all connected to the same thread but I try to tell these stories in different forms whether it is fiction or based on rituals that I am familiar with. For example, the embroidery pieces, which I will focus on in this project, capture a vision of my creative influences and personal history. They are usually stitched up from many different people, ideas, images, thoughts, historical references, or imaginary moments. I use my own photo archive as well as found images and I assemble them in a way to create a new narrative. My works deal with the subjects of gender, identity, militarism, masculinity, and sexuality. I work across a range of different media including photography, video, installation, textile, and performance.” - Mustafa Boga

Boga is a multidisciplinary artist based in the UK and Turkey. He completed an MA in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins in 2016, following his bachelors degree at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Communication and Journalism. Boga has won awards including The Red Mansion Art Prize, which took him to China, where he created a piece of work entitled ‘There He is Without a Proper Diagnosis’ relating to his different cultural experiences. Boga has worked with international artists such as Otobong Nkanga and Irena Haiduk, and has performed in Documenta14 in Kassel, Germany. In 2018 he was awarded as ‘Highly Commended Artist’ at the Ashurt Emerging Artist Prize and was awarded a fellowship at RAW Material Company in Dakar, Senegal. In 2019 he took part in a residency (ThirdBase) in Lisbon where he created a series of textile works called ‘The landscape of Perpetual Flags’. In 2021 he won Bilsart’s video art competition, which led to a solo show as well as his artworks becoming part of Odunpazarı Modern Museum in Eskişehir, where he also had a group show in 2021.

Scarifications

by Mustafa Boga

Etching,

50 x 85 cm,

Edition of 10,

2016.

Untitled 1

by Mustafa Boga

Photo etching on archival paper,

29.7 x 42 cm,

Edition of 5,

2017.

Untitled 2

Mustafa Boga.

Etching,

29.7 x 42 cm,

Edition of 5,

2016.