Mars Attacks!, Kill Bill, Scarface…also literary classics like Moby Dick and The Little Prince – Istanbul-based illustrator Murat Palta can expertly render them in the style of old Ottoman miniatures. Each piece looks beautifully time-worn. Even though the scenes are executed within the aesthetic of a foreign culture, they manage to accurately capture the essence of the stories displayed.

“I have a deep interest in different cultures and the points at which they connect with each other,” writes Murat. “Also, I love movies, video games, books and mythology. I believe that these things shape our language and how we see the world. Researching medieval manuscripts is great fun, which is the essential part for me. I love learning the stories that lie behind them. Through my work, I intend to build bridges in the world. I am in the process of looking for other traditional arts that could enrich my work. It’s quite possible I’ll come up with more stuff of this sort in the near future.”

After graduating from the Graphic Design department of Dumlupýnar University (Kütahya, western Turkey) in 2012, Murat started to work in various advertising agencies in Istanbul. In 2013, he attended the Miniature and Illumination Art workshop in Tlemcen, Algeria. He has participated in various international art festivals such as “Nour Festival of Arts” in London and “Cinephiliac: Art Transcending Technology and Motion” in Philadelphia.

Murat had his first solo exhibition titled “Murat Palta: Cult Hollywood movies as Ottoman miniatures” in City Museum of Bagnacavallo, Italy in 2014. His second show, “Depictions of White Screen” (2015) opened at x-ist gallery in Istanbul. In 2015, his works were part of a group show titled “Kitsch ou pas kitsch” at Institut des Cultures d’Islam, Paris and in a solo show in Savina Gallery, St. Petersburg.

Links: Behance (www.behance.net/muratpalta) | Twitter (@_Muratpalta) | Instagram (www.instagram.com/m_palta)

Email: muratpalta@hotmail.com.tr

Images used with permission.