Clear Skies Ahead

About Clear Skies Ahead

This figurative indoor sculpture of a male is hand forged in steel.

The uniquely beautiful sculptural work of multidisciplinary artist Derya Ozparlak has 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 male figure dressed in a shirt and tie appears to be ‘carried away’ by the bouquet of blue coloured fibreglass balloons he is holding onto. For Ozparlak, the balloons serve as a metaphor for the tension between the earthly reality of the human condition and the lofty desire to escape.

“The colour blue is not merely a simple symbol of hope; rather, it serves as a metaphor for the possibility of rediscovery and resilience despite adversity.” 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.