Today we’d like to introduce you to Erhan Us.
Hi Erhan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, my journey began –today as a conceptual artist and author– in 1987 in Ankara and evolved to a conceptual artist/author career today. Over the years, I have achieved significant milestones and made a positive impact in various fields. Throughout my career, I have held the honor of serving as the president of 11 different NGOs and associations, which has allowed me to contribute to the community and foster positive change.
In addition to my involvement in social causes, I have also made my mark in the realm of marketing. As the CEO of A.D. 1644 Marketing Group, I have spearheaded pioneering projects that have been recognized internationally. It is a source of great pride for me and my team that our efforts have been acknowledged with prestigious awards, including the distinction of being named the “best digital & strategic agency”.
While my professional accomplishments have been gratifying, my passion for art has always remained at the core of my journey. I have had the privilege of showcasing my artworks in more than 140 exhibitions across approximately 30 countries, with 15 of these exhibitions being solo shows. This global exposure has allowed me to connect with diverse audiences and communicate my artistic vision on an international stage.
In addition to my artistic endeavors, I have also embraced the role of an author. I have written several books, including titles such as “Digital Prestige,” “Status Quo,” “Polisopolis,” and over 50 articles. These publications have provided me with a platform to share my insights and ideas with a broader audience.
Academically, I hold degrees in TH Management, Sociology, and Philosophy from esteemed institutions such as Bilkent University, Istanbul University, and Anadolu University in Turkey. To further expand my knowledge and contribute to the academic community, I currently lecture at the Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus. Moreover, I am dedicated to my multidisciplinary art studies –besides my Galleries Manager position– at the MFA level at the Maryland Institute College of Art [MICA].
Overall, my journey has been a tapestry of diverse experiences and achievements. It is the combination of my artistic expression, dedication to social causes, and entrepreneurial spirit that has shaped me into the individual I am today. I look forward to continuing my creative and professional pursuits with the same passion and enthusiasm that has brought me this far.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was not a smooth road. I may divide the obstacles into four, one of which is in the marketing field, and the other three are in the art world.
When I founded A.D.1644 Marketing Group which operates in strategic/digital marketing, architectural/product photoshoots, social media management, and graphic design; the necessity of its being held at a professional level was not clear in the hoteliers’ perception, specifically social media’s effect was not clear in a corporation. So the first main struggle then was the general managers’ and many independent hotel owners’ ignorance about digital marketing tools, mostly because of the generational gap.
The second one is the “network is greater than the artwork” problem within the art world. As the artworks are being fetishized, the supply–demand curve adapts immediately. And mainstream galleries/artists do not have any problem with that. But when you flip the coin, it creates a meaningless trend and suppresses conceptual/protest/meaningful content. Accordingly, even a “lack of vision” kind of work can be displayed/exhibited at a gallery just by having the right connections. Or, young Van Goghs are waiting and dying while trying to find the right connections to be discovered.
Censorship was a common problem in my home country which caused me to leave it. My works and writings are mostly sociological/philosophical based, protest ones. I remember many museum managers, gallerists, and curators in Turkey who told me they don’t want the museum to be stoned, or closed by the government. Even some of my books are published with missing sections. Creating in some countries is hard to cope with, my art is considered to be a crime in more than 20+ countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
Lastly, freedom of speech and political correctness combination is a double–edge sword. The audience –when they do not follow the labels of the artworks– have either difficulty in understanding them or form biases against me/my practice specifically in the atheist context. At that point, they can be confused as if the work targets only one belief system, which targets all belief/spiritual ones.
And cancel culture has a sociological problem/loop since the person who cancels becomes the politically incorrect thing itself. In a diversified world, every concept/item is another belief’s sacred one, you can’t know all 3000 beliefs and be respectful to all. That is the hypocritical point to stand and ask for respect to 2–3 widely accepted beliefs. Therefore when you expect respect to any belief, unconsciously you expect a dogma shield that prepares a basis for the society of another Inquisition Europe.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My works are mostly known for being controversial, sometimes even on an “I can’t click the like button” level, politically. I’m specialized in multidisciplinary art, via installation, painting, printmaking, photography, video, and illustration.
I prefer to challenge traditional beauty norms/demolish aesthetic concepts and sometimes to use them just for the audience to focus on the work and create a Brechtian discomfort, by usually manipulating the daily–life objects. Proud, for me, is attached to the audience’s experience, when they create a bond with the artwork. Even spreading a small idea is frankly more satisfying than being exhibited on 5 continents.
An American critic once told me that I was holding a time bomb in my hands, in terms of my controversial art. If the audience reads the label, they get the idea if they haven’t noticed yet; but if not, some works are very open to misinterpretation and get the artist canceled. In between all the duplicity of the society, taking risks but touching the harsh truths and human rights violations.
Aside from them, I’m holding the Galleries Manager position at MICA and continue to work in architectural/product/museum photography and more, which can be seen on my website.
Contact Info:
- Website: erhanus.com
- Instagram: erhanus
- Linkedin: erhanus
- Twitter: erhanus
- Youtube: erhanus
- Other: Portfolio / Selected Artworks
- Business: Photography Services
Image Credits
Erdogan Gok
