Contemporary Visual Artist | Australia
Kevser Ugurlu
Born in 1976
About the creator
- Kevser Ugurlu is a contemporary visual artist based between Tokyo and Sydney. Her practice is shaped by her experience of living across Turkey, Australia, and Japan, and is driven by an ongoing question around the idea of home and belonging. Through her work, she reflects on movement, memory, and identity, often drawing from historical and shared narratives to explore themes of migration, displacement, and resilience.
Short Biography
Born in 1976 in Turkey, Kevser Ugurlu developed an early interest in art and began her formal training in her hometown. Her life and career have taken her across Ankara, Tokyo, and Sydney, where she has built a multidisciplinary practice. Alongside her artistic work, she has been involved in cultural projects, collaborations, and community initiatives, and has also facilitated art workshops in both private and group settings.
Education
Kevser Ugurlu completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Eskisehir, Turkey, between 1990 and 1994. She later studied Japanese Language and Literature at Ankara University from 1994 to 1998. In 2022, she further developed her technical skills through training in design tools such as Adobe.
Exhibitions
Ugurlu has participated in a range of group exhibitions and projects across Australia, Japan, Turkey, and internationally. Her exhibitions include presentations at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in Sydney, The Other Art Fair in Sydney, and The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre. She has also exhibited in international group shows in Bulgaria and Turkey, as well as earlier exhibitions in Tokyo, including a duo exhibition at Setagaya Art Museum.
Awards
Kevser Ugurlu has received several awards and recognitions, particularly in Australia. Notable achievements include first prize in the watercolour category at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (2022), second prize at Fairfield Art Prize (2022), and second prize again at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre (2024). She has been a finalist in multiple art prizes, including the Shibuya Art Awards (2025), Gallipoli Art Prize, WWAS 9×5 Landscape Prize, and Fifty Squared Art Prize. She was also featured in the Homiens Art Prize in New York and selected for The Boomer Art Prize in London. Earlier in her life, she received several awards during her teenage years in Turkey.
Artistic Style
Ugurlu works primarily with watercolour, gouache, and ink on paper, creating semi-abstract compositions that balance fluidity and structure. Her work often combines layered textures, rhythmic movement, and intuitive mark-making, resulting in pieces that move between figurative and abstract forms. Influenced by history, mythology, and lived experience, her visual language reflects emotional depth and complexity. Her compositions explore tension between chaos and calm, while inviting quiet reflection and open interpretation.
Additional Information
In addition to her studio practice, Ugurlu has contributed to public art and community-based projects, including collaborations with Blacktown Arts and initiatives supported by the NSW Government in Sydney. She has worked as a project manager in cultural programs in Tokyo and has experience in freelance design. Her work has been featured in publications such as The Boomer Art Magazine and Art Almanac. She is fluent in Turkish, Japanese, and English, and continues to engage with diverse communities through teaching, workshops, and collaborative projects.
Masterpieces by Kevser Ugurlu
