British Artist Ian Berry’s First Exhibition in Turkey: “Beyond Denim”

Kübra Nur Nilüfer – Culture and Arts Editor

British artist Ian Berry’s first exhibition in Turkey, “Denim Ötesi – Beyond Denim”, has opened its doors to visitors. Renowned for expressing his art through denim fabric, Berry presents a curated selection of his works spanning two decades, along with site-specific creations designed exclusively for Istanbul art enthusiasts.

Curated by Aslı Bora, the exhibition’s grand opening was hosted by Reyhan Kalyoncu, Chairperson of Kalyon Holding’s Social and Cultural Affairs Committee, at Kalyon Kültür in Istanbul.

The exhibition features key pieces from Berry’s acclaimed “Behind Closed Doors” series, which has previously garnered widespread acclaim in London and has been exhibited in various museums across Europe. Notable highlights include “Paradise Lost”, a piece from Ian’s Hotel California series, which depicts Los Angeles’ iconic Roosevelt Hotel brought to life using nothing but denim. Also on display is Berry’s celebrated “Denim Legends”, a collection showcasing portraits of famous personalities inspired by answers from denim experts worldwide to the question, “Who is your denim legend?” These works have been featured in numerous museums and galleries. One of the exhibition’s standout attractions is Berry’s renowned “Secret Garden”, an intricate piece featuring dozens of handcrafted plants and flowers, certain to captivate audiences. Driven by the belief that no material captures the essence of life and its emotions better than denim, Ian Berry has created new works specifically for this exhibition. Among these is a series inspired by Chinese astrology, featuring 12 animal figures and their associated symbols, which the artist connects with luck and positive thinking. Another piece crafted exclusively for Turkish audiences takes its inspiration from the iconic blue-and-white İznik tiles of the 15th century. This still-life work, depicting flowers in a vase, creates the illusion of being composed of multiple tiles seamlessly assembled together.

“Denim Ötesi – Beyond Denim”, Ian Berry’s first exhibition in Turkey, showcases a selection of his paintings and installations to date. The exhibition will be open to visitors at Kalyon Kültür until February 14, 2025.

About Ian Berry

Noticing a pile of old jeans and the contrasting shades of blue… With just a few scissors and glue, Ian Berry quickly became one of the most talked-about young artists. While he admits his journey with denim began as an experiment, he soon discovered his connection with jeans—especially those belonging to others. He had found a unique way to communicate, and before long, he was recognized as one of the world’s top 30 artists under 30 and a recipient of the prestigious Rivet 50 Award. In 2019, he was named one of the 50 most influential figures in denim and consistently ranked among the Top 100 by WeAR Magazine. Originally from Huddersfield, a once-thriving textile town in northern England, Berry achieved remarkable success. His labor-intensive work garnered attention worldwide, leading to commissioned portraits of iconic figures like Debbie Harry, Jennifer Saunders, Giorgio Armani, Lapo Elkann, and Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen. However, his most renowned portrait is of Ayrton Senna, created using denim from the Senna family, with proceeds supporting the institute established in the legendary driver’s name. In 2021, Berry unveiled his commissioned portrait of Garibaldi for Genoa, Italy. In 2022, he completed portraits of three leading Chilean figures: Jorge González, Ana Tijoux, and Roberto Márquez of Illapu. Additionally, he was tasked with creating a portrait of Levi Strauss for the Levi Strauss Museum in Buttenheim, Germany, as part of its iconic Denim Innovators gallery. In 2023, Berry was chosen to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the 501 jean with monumental works displayed in Paris, Milan, and Madrid. His notable exhibitions include Behind Closed Doors and My Beautiful Launderette in 2016, and Hotel California in 2019. In San Francisco, he unveiled a permanent installation of Secret Garden at the New San Fran Flower Mart. In 2022, Berry co-founded Art Materialism, a movement of artists renowned for exploring a single material and building their careers around it. Having lived and worked in Sydney, Australia; Skåne, Sweden; and Amsterdam, the artist now resides in Poplar, East London.