“It is known that, by these 3D post-it portraits I create cult aphorismas, political humour and powerful play with the viewer. Silkscreen printing is used in the process prior to the invention of polyester mesh.”

Ardan Özmenoglu is a versatile Turkish contemporary artist who works in a wide range of mediums including large-scale glass sculptures, works on Post-It® notes and neon lighting. Since her first exhibition in 2006, her unique work has been featured in over forty exhibitions in the U.S. and abroad including Istanbul, Berlin and Croatia.

Özmenoğlu adheres hundreds of post-it notes to her canvases and then silk-screens colorful, pop-inspired imagery on top to create a three-dimensional surface. This singular composition made out of a multitude of similar parts lends the work a formal variety and literal depth. After the canvas undergoes the printing process, each post-it note can behave differently. Some can lay completely flat, while others can curl up and reveal their true colors peaking out from under the overlaid images. The work’s three-dimensional depth also translates into a depth of meaning—on the surface, it is colorful, lighthearted and extremely fun, yet an entirely different character and tone threatens to eclipse these surface appearances from underneath.

Her playful work, ripe with sociopolitical commentary, challenges the viewer to reconsider familiar images, products and ideas. She cleverly uses ubiquitous items, Post-It® notes, to create pieces of art that unite seemingly opposing ideas: the past and the present, art history and contemporary art trends, creativity and consumerism, repetition and individuality, the whole and the fragmented. She unites the centuries old practice of printing with modern colors, glitters, paper and images. Her brightly colored, bold art forces the viewer to consider everyday objects and ideas in a different light. The result is anything but predictable.