Şefik Kemal Şimşek
YÜZ (meaning "face" in Turkish) is a sculpture and painting exhibition by Şefik Kemal Şimşek that invites viewers on a multi-layered intellectual journey centered around the concept of the face. The exhibition explores the face not merely as a physical entity, but as a bearer of identity, belonging, social roles, and personal memory.
The contrast between the rigidity of industrial materials used in the sculptures and the fragile nature of the face prompts reflection on the visible and hidden, the familiar and the estranged aspects of facial representation. The paintings delve into the philosophical dimensions of the face, examining its relationship with time, space, and otherness.
YÜZ referencing the ethical and ontological significance of the face in contemporary thought. Each work centers on the idea of “encounter,” inviting viewers to confront both the face of the other and their own.
Şefik Kemal Şimşek (b. 1978, Istanbul) is an artist working in the fields of sculpture and contemporary art. A graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Kocaeli University, Şimşek served as a lecturer in the Department of Sculpture at the same faculty between 2009 and 2011. Since 2011, he has been working as the Head of Art Studios at Sabancı University. Focusing on figurative and formal explorations in his artistic practice, Şimşek has held numerous solo exhibitions both in Turkey and abroad, and has participated in various national and international art symposiums. In addition to exhibitions in Istanbul, Prague, and Thessaloniki, he has taken part in sculpture and art symposiums across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, and several cities in Turkey. His work spans a wide range—from temporary public sculpture projects to studio-based plastic explorations—emphasizing material engagement and spatial expression.
