Melike Melenâ was born in Istanbul in 2000. She is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Graphic Arts at Anadolu University's Faculty of Fine Arts. In 2020, she founded the brand Who, a collection of wearable artworks, and created sustainable clothing products from her artwork. In 2022, she assisted Mehmet Sinan Kuran in the "Nowhere" exhibition at Anna Laudel. During the summer term, she coordinated and led children's art workshops at Art Istanbul Feshane. The artist, who directs the children's art unit of the Hayal Gücü Merkezi Association, organizes workshops for women and children in the field of alternative art education. She continues her work in Istanbul and Eskişehir, conducting workshops in both institutional and personal settings.
This work is a conceptual illustration that questions the subjective reality and reflections created by a romantic experience. The central caption, "The colors I thought I saw in him were me," poses the work's central question: Is love truly discovered in the other, or is it merely a reflection of ourselves? The artist visualizes this philosophical inquiry with a minimalist composition. The transparent layers and color transitions scattered around the text symbolize the blurring of perception in relationships. The work, rendered in pastel tones, reflects both an internal reckoning and the fragility of romance. It is not a love manifesto, but a critique of love.
This work is the second and final edition of the artist's first work. It is in a personal collection and is not for sale.
I Was Me; Acrylic and Indian Ink in Epoxy, 14x9cm
