The Gallery at the Marmara-Manhattan

Located in the lobby of The Marmara-Manhattan, this impressive gallery space is a highlight of both the property and the neighborhood. The light-filled room has become a forum for both established and up-and-coming artists from the local and international art scenes. The Marmara-Manhattan provides free public access to the gallery, open every day between 11am - 7 pm.

NESLIHAN CATTO Mugshot Curated by Zishan Ugurlu Ph.D

June 29, 2006 - September 10, 2006
Opening Reception: Thursday, June 29, 2006   6:00 - 8:00 PM

The Gallery at The Marmara-Manhattan is pleased to announce an exhibition of new work by Turkish-American artist Neslihan Catto.

Neslihan Catto's fascination with the human faces is the inspiration of her latest show and the artist would like to dedicate this show to her teacher, painter Peter Homitzky.

Of this body of work Diane Cochrane writes, "Catto's portraits look beyond appearance; they are interpretive rather than descriptive. She strives for psychological expression--either her subject's or her own or perhaps both. The drawings sometimes concentrate on unpleasant aspects of the human predicament--fear, anger, tension--emotions the viewer can identify with even though recognition can be appalling" and she continuous "the characteristic intensity of Catto's portraits is heightened by an uneasy frontality. Artists from sculptors of the anguished last days of the Roman Empire down to expressionistic painters, such as Egon Schiele and Alice Neel, of our own angst-ridden era have employed this device to reveal the man behind the mask. The frontal stare of Catto's models forces total consideration of every detail and its place within the composition. Brows are furrowed; eyes deeply set; mouths pinched. But it is the face as a whole with its terrible tensions that set the viewer on edge. There are few cast shadows so the subject seems pinned like a specimen under an unblinking light"

Catto incorporates black and white charcoal with incredible sense of movement and humor in her portraits and unveils the naked personalities even they are clothed. The subtext and inner landscapes become visible and reveal the uncanny ability of the artist.

In the past years, Catto's work has been exhibited in galleries including LA MaMa Galleria, Igor Trout Fine Arts, The City Hall and Tomasula Gallery. She lives and works in New Jersey.