THE IMPACT OF SYMBOLS AND MOTIFS ON CREATIVITY IN MODERN ART AND AN EVALUATION THROUGH FİKRET OTYAM'S WORKS

Abstract

Throughout history, art has evolved in parallel with the development of humanity, functioning as a bridge between the past and the present. In this process, symbols and motifs have assumed an important position as some of the most powerful means of expression in the evolution of art. With the emergence of modern art, the traces of the past were blended with contemporary forms; artists developed new modes of expression that extended from local culture to a universal language. In this context, art has undertaken the role of both constructing identity and cultural memory by merging local cultural values with the aesthetic perception of its time.

The aim of this study is to examine the role of symbols and motifs in the formation of modern art and to reveal their impact on the artist’s creativity. The research adopts an art-historical and iconographic analytical approach, evaluating the transformation of traditional motifs in modern art through the artistic practice of Fikret Otyam. The scope of the study aims to demonstrate how symbols and motifs unique to Anatolian culture are reinterpreted in Otyam’s art and how they are reflected in modern artistic expression. As a result, the local symbols found in Fikret Otyam’s works unite the lifestyle and cultural memory of the Anatolian people with a modern visual language. Drawing nourishment from tradition yet shaped by contemporary sensibility, Otyam created an original symbolic language, becoming one of the prominent representatives of cultural continuity in modern Turkish painting.