The artist: Cemo
The title: Invasion (Covid-19)
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 18.07.2020. London
This work is based on the current corona virus which is one of the biggest disaster against humanity.
It was an unknown enemy and still deadly. It is not causing a huge number of death, but creating financial fear across the globe.
On the other hand, it affected human psychology and behaviour which is showing how people are queuing up and buying stocks like it’s the end of the world. If they don’t stock up now, they will die due to hunger.
It is a crucial time in the history of mankind due to lockdown and self isolation, people have lost the touch of closeness. I was thinking how to transfer my artistic imagination to the canvas about this pandemic.
I saw that there are so many aspects of this issue which is impossible to express all of them in a single work. Then, I made a decision to create a series to portray all my imaginations in the form of art.
This time of uncertainty reminds me the time of war where people are fighting over sanitiser and toilet rolls. This is the fight of our survival and race.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Harvest time
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 10. 05. 2019, Middlesex University,London
In nowadays situations, the cheapest and worthless thing is human life. We choice war, instead peace; we choice dictatorship, instead democracy; we choice death, instead life; we choice save, greed, selfishness and meanness instead share.
Intolerance is our dominant perspective and practice.
Rather than forward-looking, unfortunately there is a backward-looking attitude both theoretical and practical which aiming to bring back a darkness regime of Medieval time.
In this metaphorical landscape, the field is formed by human who are surrender and besieged by death. Death is symbolising by an unknown creature which I pointed it as executioner who cutting, destroying human with a scythe.
The farm is people; the farmer is a killer. A dark, stormy and oppressive background. Just can be hear the silence of death.
The artist: Cemo
The title: All Together, Side by Side
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions:152x122 cm
The date: 18 December, 2018, Middlesex University, London
I was thinking as a British artist of Kurdish origin, what kind of a painting should I create that could represent my ethnic artistic integration to British art society, also it should contain my political points of view, including mentioning a historical value of British society?
The idea came up and embodied as: Life, against death; peace, against war; and, reborn babies instead death soldiers.
While I live in the UK, I realised that Remembrance Day is an important period of British history and for British society, even for some other European countries and for the members of the Commonwealth.
According to researches, the poppy fields were the battlefield of WW1, also the red poppy represents remembrance and hope.
I decided to create a peaceful and anti-war painting. Then, I imagined the Sun, as the source of life for the galaxy which we are living in, which gives energy, light and life to all the planets around the Sun. In that composition, at the forefront of the painting I imagined a field of poppies which was the battlefield of the war, and many soldiers lost their lives all together, side by side. Instead, I put babies in the heart of poppies who are grooving all together, side by side, in peace and in a hope. The planets are turning in peace with their own identity, colours and tones, next to each other.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Everything is different, everything is the same
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: November,2019. Middlesex University,London
This work is based on and also inspired by two similar true stories which happened in different times, between different forces and different geographies. The first example happened just before WW2, in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War in Spain and Basque between the Republicans, the International Brigades and fascist dictator Francisco with the help of his fascist allies in Germany and Italy.
The second example is on the ongoing multi-sided Syrian Civil War which has the potential to turn into WW3. It is continuing between Kurds, The International Brigades, The International Coalition Forces and Syria, Iran, Turkish state and its allies mercenaries as well as Russia at Rojava Kurdistan and Syria since 2011.
The artist: Cemo
The title: That was me
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 152x122 cm
The date: 06.11.2019. Middlesex University, London
My artworks are generally political and based on true stories. Even my imaginations are inspired by my personal background, my memory and historical stories which happened in Kurdistan and Mesopotamia. I brought them back to the present and mixed them with a semi-surrealistic manner to recreate them.
That was me on a journey to Turkey during fascist time. Some scenes of the torture days in prisons and in police stations which happened at military fascist junta situations after 1980s. That time not only cost my youth, but also caused physical and psychological traumas to my body and soul. And then, I planned to fight via art to give a response and take revenge. All my paintings are witnesses of a dark period of history. They are a mirror to the secret parts of reality. And also, they are representing my rebellious feelings and resistance against my enemies.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Destabilisation
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 150 x 120 cm
The date: October, 2019. Middlesex University,London
Almost 15 years ago, I was thinking to find out, to discover a unique form of art to practice. While I had brainstorms, I even had some dreams, something came up and finally I decided to use letters and numbers to represent people to create some artworks.
Basically, my main purpose is transferring into art the movement, revolution and changes in Kurdish society. Also, the spiritual changes of Kurds will be another theme.
In this work, Kurds are represented by letters as democratic forces against black numbers which represent terrorists, gangs and fascist states. In addition, I experiment with my multidimensional idea on this painting as well.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Released Nightmares
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 05.05.2019. Middlesex University,London
The complications and chaos of current world and human relationships are main themes of this work: The impact of nuclear danger, poverty, threat, scream, death, oppression, annihilation and beauty on an artist, and their aesthetic appearances as unbridled nightmares.
On the one hand, we live in cyber time. Human is developing technology in a vertiginous speed. Inventing/discovering more sophisticated apparatus as robots to replace human. Cloning human, animals and plants. We are creating and sending high technological tools to space, to Mars to discover, and make it our second home or a colony. But, on the other hand, global warming, tsunami, earthquakes, forest fires, conflicts, contradictions between classes, states, nations, genders, religions and nuclear threat -which many of them being manmade issues- are knee-high, and deeply affecting artists and art.
During the progress of this work, I would change the way of the canvas to see it differently, from a new perspective, to discover new objects and to invent new things for my multidimensional art idea. I wanted to make use of painting four ways; both vertical and horizontal or portrait and landscape.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Garden of Daisy
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 26.03.2018. Middlesex University, London
The Sun is the origin of the world. Our life and nature is directly dependent on sun.
Because of the procreative Sun and its energy, all living creatures have obtained their own fertility and proliferation, the whole universe and its planet’s depend on the energy of the Sun.
To continue our family in the natural way, a woman is the main factor and indispensable part. The woman maintains our existence by nurturing her young by feeding babies through their breasts. This is the basic energy needed for growing and also shaping the identity of our unique family and character as well.
I intend to create a connection between natural activity and human relationships with natural balance to respond via an aesthetic part of the woman i.e. the breasts as a symbol, this is portrayed through the beautiful form of daisy as nested"
The artist: Cemo
The title: Nomad(2)
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 04.03.2020. Middlesex University, London
This work is my imagination and a childish dream about missing my motherland and my childhood.
On the other hand, it is about colonialism, occupation and exploitation. Kurdish land: villages, towns and cities are under control of colonists and ruled by them. Only the mountains remained free. There are no jobs available for Kurds to work and survive. That is why between Spring and Autumn Kurds are taking all their animals, tents and other stuff and moving to mountains to survive. The nomadic lifestyle is still partly continuing, but the authorities started to ban moving to mountains because of the conflicts between Kurdish guerrillas and armies of colonists.
In this work, I intended to create a relationship and make a comparison between nature and the nomadic life to see what is and how their systems work. I look back to 50 years ago and try to remember it and transfer it into art to revive.
During the creation, a few times I met some tutors-artists in my studio space and asked them about the perspective and proportions before finishing this work. After I have got some suggestions, I rethink and rework on some parts of painting, especially about proportion.
The artist: Cemo
The title: The Forest of Shame
Medium: acrylic&oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 05.03.2018. Middlesex University, London
"The colonialism and its exploitative systems are understandable. These processes depend on economic laws which are objective. They do not depend on us, but are part of the evolutionary process. Moreover, in wild, natural selection and feeding chain is perceptible, but physical extermination is not acceptable and irrelevant to exploitation and colonisation. This is a counter-march of the evolutionary process and a step back to barbarism.
All the living species in the world, such as genus, races, categories, families, tribes, nations etc. have their own distinguishing features and also have a long historical and temporal journey to take shape.
Despite of this reality, the Kurds’ existence and their national rights to have their own country, prosper on their own land are denied by colonialist countries and imperialist systems. In addition, the exploitation of the Kurds are not enough: they are executed by the Iranian state almost regularly every week, every month, every year. Kurds are being physically destroyed. It is a kind of long-term genocide which spreads over time.
In this painting I have aimed to create a contrast between the colourful background and the tragic foreground. I have used two techniques, two different styles: on one hand, free, raw, mixed colour, long expressionist brush strokes and, on the other hand, precise, straight, accurate, measured and deliberately thought lines and colours.
There is life and death, happiness and sadness, good and bad, beauty and ugliness, nature and self-determination; they are all in the same frame.
The trees, representing life, are alive. The gallows, representing death, are dead.
The volatile and indistinct souls are on a chirpy and vivid background; the gallows are on a dry, infertile and soulless land"
The artist: Cemo
The title: Nomad(1)
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 2017, Middlesex University,London
The artist: Cemo
The title: the Viruses of Darkness
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 2015, London Metropolitan University, London
Viruses of Darkness is a depiction of rape crimes by gangs against Kurdish children, after occupation of town of Sinjar in 2014. According to news, many children were captured and raped. They declared that all goods and women belonging to Kurd are halal for paramilitary gangs.
They deliberately kidnapped Ezdi Kurdish children to rape and impregnate and to change the original identity/DNA of their future generations. Even Ezdi children couldn't give birth because they were children when they got pregnant by gang members.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Immorality and Irrationality
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 06.06.2020, Middlesex University, London
In this experimental work, I tried to escape from my previous ways and styles of creating paintings. I had a main idea, but many other ideas came up during the process so I continued to adapt, add to, cancel and alter things. During lockdown I had a sudden discovery and decided to develop this idea.
My main idea was put into the centre of the painting: rape crimes; torture and execution crimes after rape; organ trafficking after execution; and, finally exposing the naked bodies of Kurdish women soldiers, women politicians, women activists, and women supporters of our national struggle in public, (which resulted in many of them broadcast nationally and published on several social media sites by Turkish authority and by it's paramilitary gangs).
Firstly, I intend to show the immorality of our enemies that attack Kurds. In addition, I intend on showing the irrational power, the war crimes and violations of human rights which oppose international law against Kurds, and to expose prisoner of war treatment.
On the other hand, in my political works I generally try to create a link between past and present by addressing those behaviours that were carried out against us, which are not new. It is a part of their dark and barbarian history which was set up against others, which blended with colours of prison, massacre, genocide, death, violent, exile and displacement.
The artist: Cemo
The title: The Volunteers of Hell
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 2015, London Metropolitan University, London
The Volunteers of Hell is based on a true story.
The siege of Kobane was launched by paramilitary gangs on 13 September 2014, in order to capture the Kobane Canton and its main city of Kobane in the de facto autonomous region of Rojava Kurdistan. 95% of Kobane was occupied by gangs.
In that battle 70% of Kobane city was destroyed. Then, a coalition was formed between Kurdish army YPG (Popular Protection Units), YPJ (Women's Defence Units), Peshmerga of southern Kurdistan region and the Global Coalition to defeat gangs, it was a historical resistance.
Between 15 September 2014 and 20 March 2015, YPG-led forces recaptured Kobane. That victory was the first defeat to the gangs in Kurdistan and in the Middle - East, and the resistance of US-backed forces, Kurdish troops YPG-YPJ continued until they recaptured Raqqa, capital city of gangs, on 17.10.2017.
Kurdish women's force YPJ had a heroic resistance and role in the battle of Rojava Kurdistan. All Kurds around the world came together and united, they had demonstrations and protests against invaders and for Rojava Kurdistan.
In this painting, I used semi-surrealist figures to depict the extraordinary, historical and heroic resistance of Kurdish women in the battle. Also, I intend to humiliate our enemies, the members of gangs, and describe them as animals.
The four women warriors are representing four parts of Kurdistan as the unity of the Kurd nation with the Kurdish flag and our national colours of red ,green, yellow and white on their legs and hairs.
The artist: Cemo
The title: 1,500,000 + 1
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 2014, London Metropolitan University, London
As known, 1,500 000 Armenian were genocide by Ottoman Empire and Turkey during WW1, displaced from Turkey and Northern Kurdistan, and all their goods and properties were siezed. In fact, that genocide didn't stop against Armenian until now ,and at every opportunity Turkish state is still killing Armenian in Turkey. One of them was Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, who was a Turkish citizen. He wrote about Armenian genocide in his own newspaper, Agos. Because of this, the Turkish state ordered him to go to Istanbul governorship, and he was threatened by death if he did not stay silent. Finally, on 19 January 2007, Turkish authorities gave a gun to 17- years-old a fascist/nationalist boy, and Hrant Dink was assassinated in front of his office.
After being threatened, Hrant Dink says that he was as fearful, as the pigeons, and always looking over his shoulder for any attacker.
And, I covered his dead body with pigeons, instead of his newspaper Agos. Also, depicted pigeons moving on to Armenian way, which represents forced exile, displacement and genocide.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Seven Days and Seven Nights
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 2016, London
"57-years-old Taybet Inan was a mother of 11 children, from the town of Silopi, Northern Kurdistan.
The Turkish State declared a curfew in Silopi. On the 12th day of curfew which was 19 December 2015, Taybet Inan visited her neighbour and when she came back, she was killed in her courtyard. Her brother came running to help her but he was killed as well.
It was winter and her body was lying in the courtyard for seven days and seven nights, nobody had the permission to remove her body.
According to news, her children didn't sleep during that time and they kept watch and ward off stray dogs to keep their mother's body safe."
The artist: Cemo
The title: It Was Autumn When I Came
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 2016, Middlesex University, London
This is an experimental contemporary work which is addressing Kurdish issue, history of Kurdistan, colonialism, fascism and resistance of Kurds.
On the top right side is the darkness of fascism,gangs, colonialism including symbols of oppression.
On the lower left side, my mother is pregnant with me. It was Autumn, when I was born, She was reading the history of Kurdistan. Autumn represents the situation of Kurdistan which means it is in the middle of its existence.
On the top left side, Kurdish women are playing, singing and dancing which symbolise fight and national resistance, and aiming for freedom, independence, peace, a colourful sky and life.
Our existence depends on the end of our resistance: It is possible that our enemies could erase us from history, and after Autumn our history can turn into Winter; or we can get victory and Kurd and Kurdistan can reach Spring and a new life.
The artist: Cemo
The title: The Shepherd Who Created Art with his Bum
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 2017, Middlesex university, London
This is an allegory which addresses invaders of Kurdistan, their president, politicians, authorities and people who admired them.
During the building of a one-man regime, new-Ottomanism and caliphate, the authorities of invaders implemented a two-sided plan against people and opposition: Oppression and Hunger.
Then,the authorities of invaders started to manipulate people and created a huge adulatory mass. And the lies became the only reality for the political oppressors. The majority of the masses bowed down to a one-man regime.
The leader of oppressors describes himself as a shepherd. And imitated Joseph Goebbels, propaganda minister of Nazi. The monarch, who put the masses to sleep, created art with his bum, and sang a lullaby to the masses, and they become slaves, creatures who are listening in awe, intoxicated, ecstatic and in trance.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Roboski Massacre
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 2014, London Metropolitan University, London
Roboski Massacre is based on a true story and it is a documentary work about a deliberate massacre against Kurd and the mules belonging to Kurds.
It took place in Northern Kurdistan at 21:39 on December 28, 2011 near the Iraq-Turkey border when the Turkish Air Force bombed a group of civilians (including children), killing 34 and wounding 1.
The invading authorities made a decision regarding the border and placed a stone with number 15 on it to be recognised as their border. The massacre happened around that stone. In fact, both sides of that stone are Kurdistan and belonged to Kurds for many thousands of years. According to historians this area has been occupied and divided by colonisers since AD 637.
Despite paying customs duty to the Turkish army at the border to enter into Southern Kurdistan legally for business, these Kurds are considered as "terrorists" by Turkish authorities and killed by using chemical weapons. Despite all the complaints and protests by Kurds, Turkish authorities are still silent about this massacre!
The artist: Cemo
The title: 73rd Edict
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 2017, Middlesex University, London
This work is based on a true story about Ezdi Kurds who didn't accept any other religion and remained as original Kurd with their own religion Yezdanizm, identity, language, history and culture until AD 637. This date was the attack of invaders with their foreign religion against Kurdistan and Kurd. According to Ezdi's claim, so far 73 genocide done against them by invaders.
On 3 August 2014, paramilitary gangs attacked the Kurdish town of Sinjar where Ezdi Kurds lived. It is a part of Southern Kurdistan. During the occupation of gangs, according to news, more than seven thousands Ezdi Kurd women, including Ezdi teenager girls and children, kidnapped, raped and have been sold as sex slave to rich invaders and others. Thousands of them were killed, and placed in a lot of mass graves. Many hundred thousands of them were forced exiled and displaced.
Ezdi women were sold as spoils of war at slave markets in Raqaa, the capital city of gangs.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Mules Massacre
Medium: acrylic&oil on canvas
The date: 2017, Middlesex University, London
Mules Massacre is based on a true story. The massacre was carried out by colonialist Turkey and Iran in 2011 and in 2007.
One of the aforementioned massacres was carried out by the Turkish air force near Roboski village on the border between the northern part of Kurdistan (part of Turkey Kurdistan) and the southern part of Kurdistan (part of Iraq Kurdistan) on 28th of December 2011 between 9:37 and 22:24. There were 38 people who were marching with 50 mules. At the end of the air strike 34 people were killed, and one of them was injured. 17 of them were under 18-years-old, and 11 of them were relatives. The mules were carrying diesel, sugar, tobacco and food. Because of the bombs, humans and mules were broken into pieces, their bodies charred and mixed; as an horrific consequence, family members could not identify the bodies of their children.
The second massacre happened in the eastern part of Kurdistan (part of Iran Kurdistan), around Secoman village in April 2017. The mules were not carrying anything, but the Persian army fusillade them just because they belonged to the Kurd. Because of the regional war in the Middle East, there has been unrest, ferment, mayhem and changes in Kurdistan, in Kurdish society, and regarding the colonial status-quo as well.
I always wonder how I can find an artistic way or style to transfer the recent situation of Kurd and Kurdistan to re-create that unrest in my artworks. I have been thinking of such techniques as shaking, moving brushstrokes; rioting, rebelling colours; effusive figures; earthquake, war and fight.
Also, if possible, I would like to get a visual experience of beauty mingled with a disaster, a contrast in the same frame, so as to create a sense of spiritual harmony of complexity.
I have used a metaphor. I have tried to create empathy to feel the pain, the helplessness, the scream, and the cry. I have tried to perceive and to communicate the smell of gunpowder, its burning smell, the approaching footsteps of death, the blood that every second pours out from their veins.
And I have found it unbearable. Therefore, I have decided to close the eyes of mules with bandages to avoid seeing the terrible scene of the massacre which was perpetrated by so-called "humans", who are the most brutal and wild animals in the world!
The artist: Cemo
The title: Mr Shepherd and his Farm
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 2017, Middlesex University, London
Generally, in the exploitative systems, in order to get elected and to get into power, to have authority over the masses, political parties sometimes use unethical tactics such as brainwashing and manipulating the population with religion and nationalism which can cause racism and discrimination. This then could cause millions to lose sight of reality and to be divided.
The minority of the population are victimised to the point where they are stripped of their legal rights. These political parties also use bribing techniques to put forth a strong campaign which further blinds the masses to vote for them. These are all done through the most powerful entity-the media. Millions are affected by this propaganda and are ready to attack one another because of their different ideologies.
I was inspired to create the piece entitled "Mr Shepherd and his Farm" after coming across a sentence spoken by a well-known candidate in Turkey who is a tyrant and is trying to be some kind of a monarch.
He said: " I am a shepherd. To manage the herd, you need to know the philosophy of the shepherd."
The dark background of the painting is symbolising the dark age of the regime which has been shaped in Turkey.
Thu bulbs and the naked bodies are symbolising the rape incidents and women in Turkey.
The animalistic figures are a reflection of the mob who were brainwashed, deceived; and have become a slave to the system.
The image of the penis shows that the people at the top who are in control only think about their own inhumane sexual pleasures and do not have the interest of the masses at heart.
The image of the salute gesture represents the synthesis of the fascist and nationalist party in Turkey, who hold the Turk-Islam ideology.
The snake symbolises unpredictable danger and potential attack by the enemies.
The dynamite head symbolises that at any time and anywhere, unexpectedly an explosion of trouble for people can occur like an explosion.
The green in the painting symbolises the farm that the dictator alludes to in his quote.
The sheep are the reflection of the people who blindly voted for him.
The dictator is on the shoulders and backs of the sheep; this shows that he is worshipped by the population, and they have fallen prey to all the lies and the propaganda put forth by his party to the point where he has become a leader who can do no wrong in the eyes of these brain-washed people.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Do It Yourself
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 2018, Middlesex University, London
The painting titled "Do It Yourself" is a depiction of my situation at home. I have been unable to have a shower in the property I live in since 17th of October 2017 despite paying my full rent. My landlord destroyed the tiles and tarpaulin of my bathroom in order to fix it. After failing to fix it, I was told: " Do It Yourself".
In this painting, I am trying to show a gruesome image of a person that would appear after over four months who is not able to take a shower.
Since I was comically told "Do It Yourself", I wanted to respond back in the same comical manner, so my response to my landlord is this painting.
I left the bottom of the bathroom unfinished because I wanted this to represent my unfixed bathroom that still needs to be completed.
In addition, the distress of being unable to take a shower for a long time and the injustice of my landlord brought in me the feeling that I could live no more, in this endless struggle. To voice my despair, I started a hunger strike. For this reason, in the painting I portrayed myself holding a gun at my head with the bathtub in front symbolising my grave.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Protest
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 2017, Middlesex University, London
According to news, between 1984-1999 about four thousand Kurd's villages were destroyed and burned by Turkish authorities during the conflict between Kurdish guerrillas and Turkish army. Later on, the Turkish state started to destroy Kurdish towns and cities as well. In addition, they burned Kurd and their cattle as well. Because of those attacks and reoccupation of Kurdistan, millions of Kurds were displaced, exiled and dispersed.
According to human right organisations, 18,000 Kurds were murdered and they are described as "unknown murders".
I intend to depict that atmosphere in Kurdistan, a scene of burned bodies of Kurds and their Cattles by rising smoke, savagery, violence and oppression against Kurds. I also imagined a protest by Kurds against savagery of Turkish authorities as resistance.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Thirteen Bullets
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm
The date: 2005, Istanbul
This work is based on a true story. Ugur Kaymaz was a 12-years-old Kurdish boy who lived in the town of Kiziltepe/Kurdistan. The Turkish state killed him on 21 November 2004 with 13 bullets in front of their house alongside his father and declared them as terrorists.
The Turkish state counted each of the 12th bullets for Ugur Kaymaz's age, and counted the 13th one for the time Ugur Kaymaz spent in his mother's womb.
I tried to use a different technique for this painting than the previous ones. I built Ugur Kaymaz's body with 13th bullets, and covered the land of their courtyard full of bullets as current situations in the land of Kurdistan.
I put two tin cans full of skulls instead of bottled food found in mass graves which were used byTurkish army.
On the left side of the painting, I set a gallows which is a face as well. On the right side of the painting, I painted the letter L as a soldier's boot and gallows with a hanged Kurd. in the middle of the painting, I put Ugur Kaymaz's mother. Her body is in pieces and in rebellion, same as Kurdistan.
I used some symbols to represent colonial law, judge gavel, war plane, skull, a bloody book of Kurdistan history and no peace in Kurdistan.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Return of Apollyones
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 2014, London Metropolitan University, London
From the beginning of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the colonialist Turkish state collected all Apollyon’s guards of Hell, and brought them to the World. IS declared all people around the world as infidels, except Sunni Muslims. They targeted the infidels and turned the world into hell. IS said that they have the right to destroy infidels and send them to hell according to their religious teachings and beliefs. Also, if any IS member loses their life, they will be honoured and definitely will go to heaven as a Shaheed/martyr.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Advanced Democracy
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 70 cm
The date: 2016, London
Haci Lokman Birlik was a 24-year-old Kurdish actor. Turkish police shot 25 bullets at close range and took his life at the scene on 3 October 2015.
The savage torture perpetrated on Birlik's body was first exposed by a photo circulated on social media. Several days later, police vehicle dragged Birlik's body in the streets of Kurdish city Sirnak, and circulated the picture in October 2015.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Kendakol Massacre
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2013, London Metropolitan University, London
Colonialist Turkish state had an air attack on 15 August 2001 at the Kendakol area in Southern Kurdistan and killed 44 civilians. Turkish state has chosen Tamil genocide which was created by colonialist Srilanka state as a role model. From 1982 until present, systematic attacks of the Turkish state have continued. The Turkish state is deliberately targeting Kurdish civilians, Kurdish villages, farms and forests to exile, to remove Kurds and to invade and to control Southern Kurdistan.
The Turkish state has a plan to seize oil of Kerkuk and Musul by force, and also rebuild the Ottoman Empire. Then, expand the borders of Turkey to as its status-quo of WW1.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Obvious and Hidden
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2014, London Metropolitan University,London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Revolution
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2014, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Armenian Genocide
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2014, London Metropolitan University, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Sunrise
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2014, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Collaboration
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2014, London Metropolitan University, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Aunt Ire
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2014, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Fertilization
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2015, London Metropolitan University,London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Foreground and Background
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2014, London Metropolitan University, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Red Genocide
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2008, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Red Genocide
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2014, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Tent
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2013, City&Islington College, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: From Zagros to Agiri
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2017, Middlesex University, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Alan Kurdi
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2016, Middlesex University, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Garden
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions:100 x 100 cm
The date: 2014, London Metropolitan University, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Rainbow
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2014, London Metropolitan University, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Polar Bears
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2014, London Metropolitan University, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Global Terrorism and Territorial Redesing
Medium: acrylic on canvas
The date: 2015, London Metropolitan University, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: See-Saw
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2016, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Wakening
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimesions: 100 x 100 cm
The date: 2014, London Metropolitan University, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Plateau
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 40 x 30 cm
The date: 2017, Middlesex University. London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Sunset
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 30 x 20 cm
The date: 2016, Middlesex University. London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Anonymous (1)
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2014, City&Islington College, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Anonymous (2)
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2014, City&Islington College, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Hunger Strike (1)
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2014, City&Islington College, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Bird Flue
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2007, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Hunger Strike (2)
Medium: acrylic on paper
Dimensions: 30 x 20 cm
The date: 2014, City&Islington College, London
The artist: Cemo
The title: Hugs the Star that who Falls into Space
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm
The date: 2005, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Bahtiyar
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm
The date: 2005, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Buttermilkmaker Women
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Grandmother Seyran
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Uncle Musa
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm
The date: 2005, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Love
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2001, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Lost Generation
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Interrogation
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 73 x 54 cm
The date: 2002, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Dream
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Kurd
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Unsuspicious Murder
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 60 x 50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Death Operation
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Observation
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2005, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Rebellion
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Match
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Stories of Deers
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2005, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Rain and Rose Gardener
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2006, Fethiye/Turkey
The artist: Cemo
The title: Global Warming
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 100 x 70 cm
The date: 2005, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The Title: Exile
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2002, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Warning
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Stream Esen
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 50 x 30 cm
The date: 2006, Kemer-Fethiye/Turkey
The artist: Cemo
The title: Lake Zagros
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Family
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 30 x 20 cm
The date: 1997, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Harvest Time
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Mutants
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: December 29, 2020. London
This work is one of series paintings on Covid-19 disaster. It is a scene of battle between viruses and health workers as two armies.
On the left side, the mutants army is leading by their commander, and in an attack position. This army is globally always changing its form, and becaming invisible, more harmful, and more lethal against human.
On teh right side, the health workers are circle people to protect them against attack of mutants.
It depicts a war and genocide from mutants against human.
The artist: Cemo
The title: Milking
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: Sacrifice
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 70 x 50 cm
The date: 2004, Istanbul
The artist: Cemo
The title: It comes back in some forms
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 08.03.2021. London
This work also inspired by pandemic and created in situations of Covid-19 lockdown.
It depicts mental and pyschological choas of a person who has been in prison, tortured and exiled by force from his motherland and lives in diaspora. Who, again and again, day and night saw nightmares and dreams about his background.
As an artist, during the pandemic and lockdown, I called it " self arrest"and tried to create a link between conditions of detention, torture and overwhelming conditions of Covid-19 and lockdown.
The artist: Cemo
The title: It comes back in some forms
Medium: acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 08.03.2021. London
The artist: Cemo
The title: We were about thirty eight people
Medium: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 152 x 122 cm
The date: 15.05.2021. London
This work is based on a true story. It depicts a military operation by Turish state against Kurds on Agiri Mountain in Winter time at Northern Kurdistan.
Because of land and air attack and siege operations, Kurdish fighters are changing their position, and moving to Eastern Kurdistan. They are on a walk around River Aras, and passing the fake and illegal borders of Kurdistan to save themselves against the operation.
