Yiğit Özgür’s ‘Chronicles of the Everyday’ Opens at London Gallery Weekend 2026

Versus Arts is delighted to present Chronicles of the Everyday, a solo exhibition by renowned Turkish cartoonist and illustrator Yiğit Özgür, open to visitors from 5 to 13 June 2026 at 114A Lower Clapton Road, London E5 0QR. The exhibition is curated by İlayda Uzunarslan and takes place as part of London Gallery Weekend 2026.

Widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in contemporary Turkish cartooning, Yiğit Özgür has spent more than three decades transforming the overlooked details of daily life into sharp, resonant observations on modern society. Chronicles of the Everyday brings together a carefully selected body of work spanning his career — works that are at once deeply personal and universally recognisable.

The Familiar Made Extraordinary

Rather than reaching for grand narratives or spectacular events, Özgür’s drawings turn their attention inward — to the awkward encounters, domestic routines, workplace dynamics, unspoken social expectations, and the small daily tensions that shape human experience. A man trying to sell “awareness” from an empty box for £20. A soul in hell wondering whether to leave the door open or closed. A talent show audience watching a Michael Jackson impersonator lying motionless on the floor. In these deceptively simple scenes, Özgür captures something true about how we live, how we perform, and how we relate to one another.

As İlayda Uzunarslan writes in the curatorial text: “His observations reveal the fragile balance between the rational and the absurd, inviting viewers to recognise themselves in the characters and situations he depicts.”

About the Artist

Born in Istanbul, Mehmet Yiğit Özgür studied Graphic Design at Hacettepe University’s Faculty of Fine Arts in Ankara. During his studies he worked as a cartoonist for TÜBİTAK publications and founded the first university cartoon club at Hacettepe. In 2007, he co-founded Mürekkep Publishing House and the weekly satirical magazine Uykusuz, which rapidly became Turkey’s best-selling humour magazine and remains one of its most influential comic publications today.

Alongside his cartooning career, Özgür has written scripts for television series, films, and advertising campaigns, and continues to share his expertise through lectures, panels, and workshops. His books — including Karikatürler (2004), Karikatürler 2 (2010), Çizgi Öyküler (2011), Hunililer (2013), Karikatürler 3 (2014), and Karikatürler 4 (2019) — have reached millions of readers across Turkey and beyond.

His work has been recognised with numerous national and international awards, including prizes from the Turkish Cartoonists Association, the Antalya International Golden Orange Cartoon Competition, and the Okhotsk International Cartoon Competition in Japan.

Exhibition Details

• Exhibition: Chronicles of the Everyday — Yiğit Özgür
• Dates: 5–13 June 2026
• Venue: Versus Arts, 114A Lower Clapton Rd, London E5 0QR
• Curator: İlayda Uzunarslan
• Part of: London Gallery Weekend 2026