Esra Düzen (b. 1983, Istanbul) lives in Oslo, Norway.

     Working across performance, drawing, textile and sound, Esra reinterprets social alienation and existential struggle through speculative storytelling, symbolism and myth making. These stories take place in an alternative reality where characters imitate our human experiences. Through this subversion of reality she proposes alternative scenarios and otherworldly compositions to our past, present and future where perception of time and space are questioned. She performs in cartoony handmade costumes, with scenographic and sculptural elements and uses humor to create discomfort and absurdity both in performance and drawing mediums. In this visual world there are hybrid beings, soft sculptural body extensions, maps of undiscovered lands and a written “new language” that needs to be unlocked. These beings in her works are separated from their true nature due to political, cultural, environmental and economical reasons and they seek for alternative ways of living and glimpses into the future.

Contact: esra.duzen@gmail.com