Zafer Urun

ZAFER URUN *1999 in Schrobenhausen, Germany.
Lives and works in Paris currently.

As part of his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich, which he began in 2018 under special aptitude in Markus Oehlen’s painting class, he also temporarily studied Industrial Design at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, shortly before continuing his studies at Städelschule in Frankfurt with sculptor Tobias Rehberger. Through the Fulbright Germany Program, he had the opportunity to study in the MFA Fine Arts program at California State University, Long Beach, in Los Angeles, followed by a Teaching Assistantship with sculptor Katie Grinnan. In 2026, he completed his thesis show, Been Surfing My Whole Life, under the mentorship of Prof. Schirin Kretschmann in Munich. Most recently, he completed the Postgraduate Erasmus+ Traineeship Program in the Sculpture Department at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University in Istanbul, working with sculptor Assoc. Prof. Ömer Emre Yavuz, and began a second traineeship at the studio of painter Clémence Gbonons in Paris.

ZAFERURUN.STUDIO@GMAIL.COM

Education

2026 – ongoing

Erasmus+ Traineeship Program at Clémence Gbonons Studio, Paris

2026

Erasmus+ Traineeship Program at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University‘s Experimantal Sculpture class as a Teaching Assistance for Assoc. Ömer Emre Yavuz in Istanbul

2018 – 2026

Academy of Fine Arts Munich, Fine Arts (Diplom)

2024 – 2025

Studio & Teaching Assistance Prof. Katie Grinnan, Los Angeles

2024 – 2025

California State University Long Beach, Fine Arts

2023 – 2024

Städelschule Frankfurt, Fine Arts

2021 – 2023

University of Applied Sciences Munich, Industrial Design

Scholarships

2026 – ongoing

Erasmus+ Traineeship, Paris

2026

Erasmus+ Traineeship, Istanbul

2024

Liebelt Stiftung Stipendium, Hamburg

2024

Oskar Karl Forster Stipendium, Munich

2023

Fulbright Germany, Post Graduate Grant

2021 – 2023

Atelierstipendium Bahnwärterthiel Kulturstätten, Munich

Exhibitions

2026

Hyperacuity, Groups Show

Bode Gallery, Berlin

2026

Been Surfing My Whole Life, Thesis Show

Kolosssaal Academy of Fine Arts, Munich

2025

Annual Exhibition

Academy of Fine Arts Munich

Time To Say Goodbye

CSULB, LA

Parallel Space

Ice House Long Beach, LA

Work Donation GLAMFA

CSULB, LA

2024

G.C.W.

Marilyn Werby Gallery, LA

Float With Me

Academy of Fine Arts, Munich

Infiltrators

Venice Biennale-Urbana Collective, Italy

Rundgang

Städelschule, Frankfurt

2023

Groupshow „Offshore“

Haus der Kunst, Munich

Three Of A Perfect Pair

Academy of Fine Arts, Munich

Soloshow „7- Eleven“

AkademieGalerie, Munich

Three Of A Perfect Pair

Academy of Fine Arts, Munich

Groupshow

Kunstarkaden, Munich

Politics of Display

Vitsœ, Munich

2022

House of Oehlen

Academy of Fine Arts, Munich

Minds Are Magnets

Canal Street R.A. New York

BAODT

Offspace, Frankfurt

Max33 = Divers

MINI Pavillion, Munich

2021

Klasse Oehlen

Galerie Braun Falco, Munich

Klasse Oehlen

Kultusministerium, Munich

2020

Plattform 11 Pop Up

Outletcity, Metzingen

Art Again!

Lazyland, Munich

Statement

Since beginning his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich under the mentorship of Markus Oehlen, his artistic interests have shifted from two-dimensional to three-dimensional forms of expression.

This development led him to temporarily study Industrial Design alongside his Fine Arts degree, broadening his artistic practice and exploring the interplay between these seemingly conflicting disciplines. Driven by this interest, he joined Tobias Rehberger’s class at Städelschule in Frankfurt as a guest student, seeking new perspectives to challenge the boundaries between design and art.

Despite their apparent similarities, the tension between these disciplines resonates with him on a personal level. With both Turkish and Kurdish roots, alongside a strong identification with his German heritage, his background reflects multiple cultural identities. His perspective is further shaped by his grandparents, who remained in Germany following the influx of guest workers in the 1980s. These intersecting cultural influences inform his artistic practice and contribute to his distinctive approach.

Zafers artistic goal is to reach beyond the conventional art world and represent his cultural background by building bridges between different communities. He considers people interested in fashion, music, or simply dining out just as much a part of his intended audience as those already engaged in contemporary art. Through his work, he aims to establish a deeper connection with these audiences, moving beyond the purely decorative and encouraging a more meaningful engagement with the artwork.

His artistic process is driven by interdisciplinary exploration and creative freedom across painting and sculpture. He is currently interested in creating sculptures from used and deconstructed sneakers, incorporating elements of streetwear culture. Fashion plays a significant role in his practice, serving both as a source of inspiration and, at times, as the subject matter itself. He also challenges traditional approaches to painting by experimenting with innovative techniques, combining digital prints with traditional brushwork and incorporating materials such as paint and wax on canvas.

Opacity is a recurring element in his work, explored through the use of diverse materials. Whether applying henna to canvas as a reference to his cultural roots or using wax to evoke the ephemerality of time, he investigates the relationship between materiality, transparency, and perception. He also experiments with transparent acrylic paint on canvas to imitate the visual qualities of traditional painting while creating denser, more substantial layers.

Zafers research is rooted primarily in everyday life and the cultural references it offers. Rather than imposing a predetermined concept or visualization, he allows the aesthetic qualities and inherent potential of his subject matter to guide the development of each work. His practice engages with the contemporary cultural climate, which may serve either as inspiration or as a direct component of the final piece. By incorporating everyday objects and visual elements such as advertisements, logos, and consumer products, he brings familiar cultural imagery into an artistic context, exploring its aesthetic potential and its relationship to contemporary society.

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