Murat Önen’s paintings challenge the binary, heteronormative understandings of masculinity, and carve out a space for representation of queer intimacy and release. Sometimes tender in tone, other times humorously debaucherous, Önen wields oils on linen to portray sleekly sculpted torsos or bundles of bodies piled on top of one another. Flailing limbs are bathed in orange hues, or flexed biceps awashed in dreamy tones of blue. Each canvas is laden with art historical references. The strong colours and defined brushstrokes evoke a Fauvist painterly style; the dramatic rupturing of Önen’s figures mirrors the work of Guston or Bacon, while the use of light and movement is reminiscent of Delacroix and Tinteretto. The dramatic composition of bodies also has a touch of Baroque theatrical flair, with Rococo pastels offering moments of lightness. All at once moody and joyful, melancholic and effervescent, these paintings speak to the immense comfort and support of chosen families, while the darker aspects reflect the isolation experienced by queer communities in patriarchal societies. ...
