About

Melih Polat (b. 1993) is a contemporary Turkish artist known for a distinctive visual language that has evolved at the intersection of surrealism, a neo-Cubist aesthetic, and symbolic figuration. Working primarily in painting, alongside printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, and digital art, Polat builds visual worlds in which reality and imagination continually intersect.

Within his practice, the human figure and recurring characters function not merely as subjects, but as vehicles for psychological states, the contradictions of everyday life, and observations of human behavior. Through fragmented and reconstructed forms, unexpected color relationships, and symbolic elements, his compositions create a shifting territory between figuration and abstraction. The surrealist approach of his earlier work has gradually transformed through experiences across different disciplines, evolving into the distinctive neo-Cubist and symbolic mode of figuration that characterizes his practice today.

The playful and at times absurd visual language that frequently appears in Polat's work is often underpinned by a more psychological sense of tension. This contrast has become one of the defining aspects of the visual language he has developed through color, form, and character.

Based in Eskişehir, Türkiye, Polat continues his artistic practice, with works held in private collections across Türkiye and internationally.