Hale Karpuzcu

Born in Uşak in 1976, Hale Karpuzcu completed her education at Kadıköy Anatolian High School, followed by Istanbul University and the University of California, San Diego. From 1996 onward, she took part in numerous ateliers and workshops, notably those of artists such as Bubi and Balkan Naci İslimyeli. Turning fully to painting in 2009, the artist continues her practice in her Istanbul studio.

Karpuzcu’s painting practice focuses on the tension between childhood experience, the formation of individual identity, and social roles. She approaches child figures not merely as symbols of innocence, but as individuals striving to make sense of the world, constructing their own emotional reality, and confronting social expectations. Deliberately moving away from realistic representation, the artist explores the transitions between the realm of childhood and adult reality through her distinct figurative language. The intense gazes in her portraits establish a direct relationship between the figure and the viewer, placing them at the core of emotional expression.

While the artist’s solo exhibitions titled Human Pup (2013) and Toy (2016) reveal different aspects of this inquiry, her Naive (2016) series addresses the search for identity and emotional transformations during the transition from childhood to adolescence. Karpuzcu continues her figurative painting practice through exhibitions and residency programs both in Turkey and on international platforms.