“The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle advanced the influential argument that a woman’s body is monstrous by nature, a deviation from that of the normative male…”[1]
Connelly, F. S.
It all started with Adam and Eve plucking and eating the forbidden fruit in the garden. The guilt was indeed on Eve who picked the apple and offered it to Adam after one bite. Yet, she was merely created from Adam’s rib. Adam responded fittingly when God asked if they had eaten from the forbidden tree that grants knowledge of the good and the evil. He pointed first to Eve, then to God, saying, “She gave me the apple, and You gave her to me.” And since that day, Eve has always remained guilty. While this story was undoubtedly written from a male perspective, its continued relevance is thought-provoking. In the 4th century, the Christian Church defined the seven deadly sins as pride, lust, envy, gluttony, greed, sloth, and wrath, urging people to restrain their extremism and worldly desires. In contrast, the seven holy virtues of chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility were presented as the path to goodness. Although sins and virtues were offered for the benefit of all humanity, these definitions have historically been manipulated to favor men, providing them with various advantages and privileges over women. This phenomenon is not limited to Christianity but appears in different cultures, traditions, and beliefs as rules established to break women’s dominance in society.
Women are often paid less than men, have fewer opportunities for promotion, and the likelihood of not being able to work long-term due to the possibility of giving birth, and consequently being pushed out of the workforce. The virtue of diligence is bestowed upon men, while female sexuality is often considered a taboo that needs to be covered in many cultures. Being lustful is not considered a sin for men, whereas women are expected to be chaste. The pornography industry disregards women and LGBTQ+* individuals, investing solely in male pleasure. In short, while those in power define virtues, women bear the brunt of the consequences. Oh, Eve, you shouldn’t have plucked that apple!
Feminist movements have managed to bring about and accelerate the momentum of certain rights against traditional gender norms and the marginalization of women. They serve as pioneers of a mental shift. While feminism utilizes internet tools to exhibit activism that benefits marginalized, excluded, trivialized, homogenized, and misrepresented groups worldwide, it’s significant to recognize that we are still at the beginning of the path. Despite the younger generation’s demand for a more comprehensive, queer, egalitarian, genderless, and free life, some holders of power, fearing loss of control, continue to suppress societies with their manipulated narratives. Once again, the burden falls on women, LGBTQ+ individuals, or discriminated groups. Thanks to the help of social media, movements like Time is Up, Me Too, and Free the Nipple** have enabled oppressed communities from various parts of the world to share their stories with society bravely.
So what are today’s sins and virtues? Who determines them, and how does the punishment mechanism work? Who should be free and who should be guilty, whose identities are explicit and honorable? Whose stories are worth listening to, whose pain is most intense, or whose mourning is permissible?[1]
Meltem Sarıkaya’s paintings come into play exactly at this point. With humorous elements hidden beneath images that may initially appear erotic, seductive, and fetishistic, the artist addresses issues related to heterosexism, homophobia, and the patriarchal society’s outrage. By altering the role of the female body, often fetishized, in her paintings, she aims to raise awareness and expand the scope of empathy in the viewer. While depicting power in the female image, the artist turns oppressive elements into subjects of ridicule and, in a mocking tone, seems to declare, “Put up with it or shut up.” She criticizes sexual discrimination, and conventional, half-learned information on sexual identities, imposed and standardized one-sided sexuality, with a language that is open and direct. In her paintings, she incorporates internet memes, popular words of the year, Gen Z slang, and visual repertoire. By using some jokes and wordplays commonly used in internet language and followed by Gen Z, she further highlights the clichés of the period. The artist uses sexuality as a veil intentionally, to capture attention by appealing to the most primitive self – the id, which is the core of pleasure-based instinctual desires. While using humor to delve into the depths of the mind, the darker aspects of primitiveness also seep into the works.
Sarıkaya’s first solo exhibition, In Between the Lips, features a collection of paintings and installations that challenge perceptions and definitions of kindness and righteousness held by those in power positions, ultimately providing comfort for patriarchal societies. The works incorporate relevant keywords and images, pointing toward remedies for the emerging sins of humanity. According to slang dictionary[2], In Between the Lips is a phrase that women generally use to refer to how their partner will do whatever they ask. The word “lips” in this context refers to the power of a woman’s words. However, it also has a sexual connotation.
Sarıkaya’s work is reminiscent of a genre from the 80s and 90s that often featured women artists exploring the subject of the body. She selects imagery that is boundary-pushing, sometimes disturbing, yet visually captivating. In the painting A Tulip for a Peach of a Liar, a flower blooms from an anus, evoking vulgar slang in Turkish. Through this painting, the artist takes the liberty to be naughty and almost shouts out, “None of your business”. Unexpected topics regarding women’s sexuality are laid bare, creating sensations. She confronts the patriarchal perspective, prioritizing their pleasure and having no remorse for exposing it, by choosing to mimic their behavior. This deliberate vulgarity highlights her provocative, mischievous, and playful style stance.
The canvases placed around the word “toxic” suggest a series of recipes to overcome today’s sins such as sexism, body-shaming, ego, and post-truth which provoke mindsets that are twisting reality, are non-inclusive, and marginalize certain groups. Although these behaviors initially bring to mind toxic masculinity, characterized by aggression, intimidation, and violence, Sarıkaya’s paintings transform them through the energy of femininity. The paintings highlight the positive attributes of femininity, such as empathy, good manners, and patience which can be considered remedies to cure the toxic behavior. Sarıkaya responds to the commodification of the female body and the physical norms that it imposes with a piece titled Develops Good Manners, offering an eye drop to tame the eyes that lack goodwill. On the other hand, to the characters who are selfish enough to care nothing but themselves with their egocentrism, the artist prescribes a suppository under the title Empathy, envisioning a cleansing from tactlessness and lack of communication, aiming to reduce at least slightly the green moldy toxicity.
The Notes from the Locker Room series is a collection of images encountered by the artist online, absurd objects, and scenes from daily life. These sketches prominently feature sexuality and offer a glimpse into the artist’s world. The artist randomly selects humorous images that catch her attention without following a narrative and shares her core process of painting namely sketching. These watercolor images consist of funny photographs that are easily found online and resemble fortunes from chewing gum, featuring playful drawings and rhymes. Through this series, the artist reinterprets old-school phrases about love, compassion, and friendship, as well as hopeful portrayals of the future, as they are still found inside fortune-chewing gums.
In the artwork titled Cheesy and Cringe, Sarıkaya brings the internet slang term Rizz onto the canvas. Rizz specifically refers to the actions of men pouring out their affection to a woman and employing various tactics within their interest. It represents a new model of the Playboy who seeks to ensnare rather than charm with natural attractiveness. This word was also selected as the most popular word of 2023 by the Oxford Dictionary[1]. It wouldn’t be false to say that Sarıkaya considers this word as today’s main sin. The artist humorously presents her stance against it, resembling the word as an advertisement hung on market stalls. The objects found beneath the painting not only reference another artwork*** she has done in the past but also criticize the mediocre solution of anchoring the canvases with weights underneath to prevent them from flying away in the wind. While doing so, she undermines the subject matter, the playboy, through this act. Eve has raised her voice now, so let’s not forget that it’s all In Between the Lips!
T. Melis Golar
May, 2024
[1] Connelly, F. S. (2012). The Grotesque in Western Art and Culture. The Image at Play, 62.
[2] Butler, J., & Ertür, B. (2005). Kırılgan hayat: yasın ve şiddetin gücü. Metis Yayınları.
[3] Arslan, M. (2004). Argo kitabı. (No Title).
[4] Oxford word of the year 2023. Oxford Languages. (n.d.). https://languages.oup.com/word-of-the-year/2023/
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* After a long time, neglected groups have finally begun to have platforms that prioritize their sexual pleasures, but the numbers are still low.
**Time’s Up is a movement that started in 2018, bringing together individuals who have experienced sexual harassment while seeking to advance their careers in the workplace.
Me Too, similarly, is a social movement that emerged in 2007 to raise awareness by sharing the experiences of sexual harassment, abuse, and assault victims with the public. It gained a greater impact in 2017 through the spread of social media.
The Free the Nipple movement emerged in 2012 as a response to the unequal approach that considers it normal for men to be topless in society but creates a sexual perception when women do the same. This issue is still debated today on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram.
***In her past work Talk to This (2023), the artist placed cheap phallic objects such as eggplants, dildos, and bananas in front of a figure we understand to be a power that spouts nonsense, instead of a microphone.
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Exhibition credit: Courtesy of Meltem Sarıkaya and Martch Art Project, In Between the Lips, Martch Art Platform, Istanbul, 2024
Photo Credit: Gülbin Eriş
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