Chilean artist’s ‘Circus: Memories of Childhood’ arrives in Istanbul

The enchanting world of “Circus: Memories of Childhood” has opened at Muse Contemporary in Istanbul. This debut solo exhibition by Chilean artist Christel Vega, in collaboration with the Chilean Trade Office – Pro Chile Türkiye, pairs Vega’s vision with Turkish artist Kadir Akorak’s to evoke the charm of vintage circus themes.

“Every midnight, like clockwork, the roars from the circus still echo in my mind, a reminder of childhood magic. Back then, they seemed to belong to mythical creatures, feeding my feverish imagination with nocturnal fantasies and eternal nightmares. I’d watch as the caravan settled in our town, offering free tickets and filling the air with the smell of popcorn and the laughter of families,” Vega said while explaining the idea behind this theme. For her it is a joyful celebration of nostalgia and creativity, taking its roots from the circuses that arrived in Chile’s Valparaiso.

“Those scorching summer days in ‘The City of the Sun’ were unforgettable. Nature was wild and rebellious, and the nights were a blur of swaying trees and anticipation. The circus brought color and joy, with its tents and lights illuminating the darkness. The beasts were larger than life, their striped fur and whip-like tails captivating my young mind,” she elaborated.

Now she is thrilled to bring those memories to life in her first solo exhibition, creating a perfect backdrop for her journey back to the circus.

Chilean Ambassador to Ankara Rodrigo Arcos and the commercial director of Chilean Trade Office – Pro Chile Türkiye, Özge Tüysüzoğlu Garate also attended the opening of the exhibition.

Speaking about her works Vega stated: “I would like to highlight a work called ‘The Bird Woman,’ and it unexpectedly came to me.” She described her unconventional approach: “It’s inspired in the sense that it’s a work that the platform is made of wood. I constantly use recycled objects in my paintings. In this case, we used an old kitchen furniture that I found thrown in the garden.”

Continuing her narrative, she recounted her initial uncertainty, “And I looked at it and said, this has something that communicates to me, but I didn’t know what to paint, but the surface communicated to me.”

She described the resulting artwork, likening it to “a welcome to my circus.” Elaborating on its design, she detailed, “Because, on the outside, it’s inspired by an old poster of the circus, posters that were made by hand and all that aesthetics. And when you open it, you find the painting, which is the painting that I always use, this type of realistic painting, oil painting.”

Reflecting on the significance of her work, she shared, “So when the doors of this device open, it’s like a welcome to the circus for me. And that’s a work that I would like to highlight.”

Transitioning to discuss her exhibition’s timeline, she revealed: “The truth is that the idea of this exhibition was in my mind for a long time. Many years ago I wanted to make this painting, this exhibition, but I didn’t feel in the conditions that I couldn’t find where to expose it.”

Explaining her journey to finding the right venue, she disclosed: “When I met Pınar, the gallery owner, we talked about doing an exhibition. She liked this theme, she wanted to introduce me as an artist. So I decided to take the risk because she wanted to introduce me this year.”

Reflecting on her dedication to her craft, she revealed: “So I was working for four or five months in this exhibition, but sacrificing everything, giving my life. And that’s part of being an artist. Because nowadays everything has to be done quickly.”

Emphasizing the versatility of an artist, she added, “And being an artist, being in a gallery, offering an exhibition, being able to do anything, paper, painting, any kind of presentation, being able to develop in something.”

Turning to the details in her paintings, she pointed out: “And all the paintings have many details. For example, that. Even though the paintings are made quickly because of the time I had, I managed to include textures and more colors.” Discussing specific elements of her artwork, she mentioned: “These are small-format paintings, but I have larger-format paintings where the texture is richer, more challenging.”

She addressed the significance of clowns in her exhibition, stating: “This is the series I made, the clowns, because it’s something indispensable in the circus. There can’t be a circus without a clown.”

Speaking about the process of discovering the Chilean artist, the founder of Muse Contemporary Art Galler, Ayşe Pınar Akalın said: “Muse Contemporary is a gallery that has been active for three years. Last year, when we learned that we were invited to Chile by the Chilean Trade Office – Pro Chile Türkiye, we were very happy. We were one of the two galleries selected from Türkiye.”

“The professionalism of the galleries I met and the talent of the artists I encountered greatly impressed me. While touring Valparaiso, I visited an art gallery and met the works of Chilean artist Christel Vega. It turns out that a Turkish friend of mine living in Dubai had bought her work coincidentally. While talking to him, I learned that Crystal came to Türkiye two years ago and got married. Life can be very interesting. After meeting Crystal, I had already admired her work in Valparaiso. She expressed her desire to have her first solo exhibition in Türkiye with us. And the theme she chose takes her back to childhood memories: the circus,” she added.

“We are truly happy to introduce her to the Turkish art scene through this exhibition. She is a very talented artist. I compare her to Caravaggio, especially in terms of her use of light techniques. She uses an extraordinarily beautiful light technique. She chooses dark themes but somehow illuminates them with light. And the circus theme has brought together two individuals from very different points in their careers. Kadir Akorak is an important artistic figure in Türkiye. We have brought together his very different but thematically similar oil paintings with Christel’s works in this exhibition,” she elaborated.