The traces of civilizations that have flourished over thousands of years in Anatolia continue to nourish the cultural memory of contemporary artists. This study examines the reflections of Late Hittite period archaeological artifacts in the paintings of contemporary Turkish artist İhsan Çakıcı. His artworks reinterpret historical reliefs, inscriptions, and geometric motifs within a contemporary plastic language, forming an aesthetic bridge between past and present. In an in-depth interview with the artist, it was revealed that Çakıcı's early works were influenced by the barren Anatolian steppe landscapes, yet since the 1980s, archaeological elements such as stone reliefs and kilim patterns have increasingly shaped his visual vocabulary. By using diverse materials including pumice, adhesives, and plexiglass, Çakıcı has created a unique surface language that merges the aesthetics of engraving with the traditions of painting. Over time, he has developed a personal iconography centered on the Late Hittite cultural legacy. Within the scope of the study, six of Çakıcı’s works are analyzed in comparison with selected Late Hittite reliefs. The formal analyses are enriched by insights gathered from the artist himself. The literature review highlights how stylistic transformations in Hittite art provide a conceptual and visual foundation for contemporary reinterpretations. Particularly, a visual continuity is observed between the Aramaized Late Hittite style and the artist’s modern visual expressions. As a result, the study reveals that İhsan Çakıcı’s paintings present Anatolia’s historical heritage not merely as an aesthetic reference but as a dynamic source for contemporary artistic identity and narrative construction
Late Hittite Art, Contemporary Turkish Painting, Cultural Memory, İhsan Çakıcı, Archaeological Influence, Artistic Interpretation, Anatolian Civilizations
| Author : | Ali Ertuğrul Küpeli -Meliha YILMAZ -Sinan ÇİNAR |
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| Number of pages: | 220-239 |
| DOI: | http://dx.doi.org/10.29228/usved.82162 |
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