Mustafa Hulusi

Mustafa Hulusi’s conceptual practice joins motifs from disconnected and non-contiguous geographies and time periods to create visually arresting works of art. Though known for his painted diptychs, Hulusi has boldly experimented in diverse media, including sculpture, photography, film, and installation. Intrigued by a tendency in traditional Islamic art to harmoniously and seamlessly interweave organic motifs with abstract and decorative forms, Hulusi often juxtaposes photo-realistic images with high-intensity op-art illusions—both techniques that play with contorted illusionary effects that seem to portray a perfected image. In homage to his native Cyprus, Hulusi draws inspiration for his imagery from the country’s endemic flora and fauna, such as the endangered almond blossom. By denying the viewer an obvious iconography or lexicon for interpreting his signs, Hulusi blurs subjectively constructed boundaries and offers what he claims is a more realistic depiction of contemporary reality and its spiritual possibilities.