Humanity and Form in Tünel’s Historic Fabric: “İbrahim Örs: States of the World” at Metrohan

Stepping onto the first floor of Metrohan—one of Beyoğlu’s landmark edifices—you are confronted with the linear heritage of İbrahim Örs, a prominent figure of Turkish painting’s 1968 generation, spanning half a century. Hosted by İBB Culture and İBB Heritage, the exhibition “States of the World” (Dünyanın Halleri) brings together under one roof 62 works meticulously preserved within the artist’s family collection.

Wandering through the gallery, one witnesses not so much what Örs depicts, but rather how he filters objects and the human form through a rigorous formal lens. Establishing a rhythmic visual vocabulary within the space, this expansive selection ranges from self-portraits to depictions of Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, Bodil Örs, and Atatürk, extending from detailed hand and foot studies to nudes, horses, bulls, birds, and everyday objects.

Having trained at the Istanbul State Academy of Fine Arts between 1965 and 1971 as both a student and assistant to Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu, the artist’s stylistic evolution can be traced clearly across the canvases. His early observations focused on human and social dynamics yielded to a layered approach to abstraction from the 1980s onward. Standing before the works, one can feel how sinuous forms, circular repetitions, and systematic deformations translate the figures into sculptural entities.

Situated right beside Tünel Square, Metrohan provides an exceptionally serene and harmonious setting for Örs’s organic painterly language. On a itinerary through Beyoğlu, it stands as an essential stop for anyone seeking an intimate look into the inner world and stylistic pursuits of a master painter from the 1968 generation.