Carried Away

About Carried Away

This contemporary figurative indoor sculpture of a female is hand forged from metal.

The stunning hand-hammered steel sculptures of Toronto-based multi-disciplinary artist Derya Ozparlak have been exhibited in collections in Canada and abroad. Ozparlak’s impressive oeuvre includes sculpture, animation, installation and both puppet and set design. This is one of an ongoing series of hand-hammered steel sculptures that explore universal themes of identity, culture and societal norms. In this piece, a female figure in a dress and heels, long hair flying behind her, appears to be ‘carried away’ by the bouquet of blue coloured fibreglass balloons she is holding onto. For the Canadian sculptor, balloons symbolize freedom and the idea of escaping conformity for a new, more inspired life.

“The figure’s act of holding on to the blue balloons suggests that even when everything turns upside down, there remains the potential to regain balance and rise again. The works aim to show that within every reversal lies the opportunity to stand upright once more.” Derya Ozparlak

Derya Ozparlak was born in Turkey and completed a BFA from Anadolu University. A full-time artist since 2006, she has exhibited in group and solo shows in Canada and internationally in Italy, Spain, Turkey, Lebanon, and the US. Ozparlak is now finishing a second BFA at OCAD University in the area of Experimental Animation. Her artworks are held in corporate, private, museum and public collections. She has participated in numerous groups, solo exhibitions, art fairs, and symposiums in Canada, France, Sri Lanka, Turkey, the US, Spain, Lebanon, Germany and Italy. Derya Ozparlak lives and works in Toronto.