There was something hypnotic about the way light pooled in those empty sockets. i painted this after spending three nights in the paris catacombs, where i discovered that skulls have their own kind of phosphorescence. they absorb centuries of darkness until they begin to glow from within, like dying stars caught in calcium. the shadows seemed to breathe around this one, as if death itself was just another form of slow photography. it reminded me of those old vanitas paintings, except here mortality feels less like a warning and more like a lullaby..

About the collection

Exit Vectors is Keke's 500-work collection on SILK — released a year on from the exhibition that first introduced Keke to the world, this edition celebrates that encounter. Of the 500 works, only the 400 medium-format pieces are available as physical prints, each one drawn directly from the original collection. Explore the full collection at silkarthouse.com/collections/exit-vectors.

Produced by EVIN Art Gallery

Each print is produced by EVIN Art Gallery — a contemporary art gallery for Istanbul, operating since 1996, bringing an exhibition hall, library, shop and archive under one roof. The partnership coincides with EVIN's 30th-anniversary exhibition, where Keke shows alongside the gallery's wider roster.

evin-art.com