Irem Gurel (b. 1997) is a Turkish artist based in New York City. Her work is shaped by a life of early independence at the age of 12 and is rooted in emotion, memory, and lived experience.

 

She began her artistic journey with an analog camera through a social project in Turkey, where she sent photographs to political prisoners who were close friends and family. This intimate act of connection became the foundation of her practice and showed her the power of art to reach people in meaningful ways.

 

Gurel’s early photography opened doors in New York City, leading to exhibitions in Soho and the Lower East Side. Photography remains central to her creative process, continually guiding her exploration of emotion, connection, and the complexity of human experience.

 

Her work investigates the delicate balance between beauty and difficulty — the tension, softness, and resilience found in life’s ups and downs. Through her images, she aims to express universal themes of empathy, strength, and transformation, embodying the belief that “there is beauty in empathy, empathy in revolution, and revolution in art"