Mehmet Üskül was born in Turkey. He received his bachelor's degree in art in 2013 from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, the oldest and most prestigious art education institution in Turkey. Besides participating in numerous group exhibitions, he had his first solo exhibition titled "Roots" in Istanbul in June 2020.

 

He has been living in Washington DC (USA) since 2021. In 2022, his artwork "Blending in" was exhibited in the contemporary artists section of the self-portrait exhibition "Fickle Mirror" at the Academy Art Museum (Easton, MD). In 2024, his artwork "Forest, or Not" was acquired by DC Art Bank for their permanent collection. Mehmet Uskul was selected by the Torpedo Factory Art Center (Alexandria, VA) as a resident artist with a personal studio and currently continues to work in his studio.

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In my work, I explore the concept of time through the metaphor of forest. The changing time is best exemplified through the transformation and the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth observed in the nature. Much like a forest, an individual, with all of their complex webs, intertwined ecosystems, and expanding roots, can change and grow. After having spent all my life in Turkey, I moved to Washington, DC in 2021. This profound change in my life has led me in a path of adapting to a new culture and community which, in turn, influenced my work. 

 

In my latest series, titled “Which Roots?” I explore the relationship between the figure and their environment; their transformation and adaptation to their new geography, and the politics of seeing and being seen as a newcomer and an immigrant. As I long to feel a sense of belonging, I reflect on my muscle memory of blending in. In my current works, the figures are pictured in lush, rich forest settings with lots of change, and their resilience is evident through their metaphoric relationship with the environment.