Yonca Karakas

Yonca Karakas (b. 1982, Turkey) holds a degree from Art and Design Faculty, Photography and Video Program of Yıldız Technical University, Istanbul. Throughout her career, she has participated in numerous exhibitions, both in Europe and USA, including museums and prestigious galleries such as Istanbul Modern Museum, Akbank Art Istanbul and Guy Hepner Gallery New York.

Karakaş, drawing from the discipline of photography, presents images in which genetic engineering intersects with forms of plants, animals, and humans, creating scenarios rooted in her memory. These photographs convey the human pursuit of perfection, the “as if” moments, and the ideal life shaped by identity and belonging.

In her works, the artist generally showcases the stories of the existing universe in alternative universes, referencing the systems in which we live (such as history, religion, psychology, and language). She creates a new reality by altering the viewer's perception of “reality” through the use of objects, spaces, situations, and characters. Within frames, there are elements like sugar crosses, giant lobsters, necklaces made of donuts, flawless skins, androids avoiding eye contact, cold characters, and cloning.