Melih Çebi is an Istanbul-based visual artist whose work navigates the space between surrealism and satire. Drawing on the mindset of childhood, Çebi explores the absurdities of adulthood through wide-eyed, smiling, and unsettlingly vacant childlike figures. His art juxtaposes innocence with themes of violence, greed, and cultural decay, offering a sharp critique of consumerism and political dysfunction.
Rooted in Pop Surrealism and Lowbrow movements, Çebi works across diverse media - from painting on Capri-Sun pouches to reimagining ancient amphoras in hyper-saturated color - challenging traditional boundaries between high and low art. His recurring characters serve as avatars for a generation numbed by spectacle, trauma, and late-capitalist excess.
Çebi’s work has been exhibited internationally at venues including Istanbul Modern, SALT Galata, and Arter in Istanbul; the Saatchi Gallery in London; and Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. His pieces are held in private and public collections worldwide, reflecting a personal mythology shaped by childhood memory and global unease. With a blend of irony and dark humor, Çebi creates a visual language that is both accessible and deeply unsettling.
