Meltem Kaya-Simsek

Meltem Kaya is a Berlin-based artist and trained lawyer whose work explores intimacy, power and the invisible systems that shape human relationships. Drawing from personal experience, her paintings investigate vulnerability, femininity and the tension between closeness and autonomy. Combining figurative elements with symbolic motifs such as chess and pigs, she examines how hierarchy, desire and control operate both in private encounters and societal structures.

Her practice is deeply influenced by her legal background, reflecting an ongoing questioning of rules, order and the distribution of power. Through emotionally charged compositions, Meltem translates psychological states into visual language, creating works that move between personal narrative and structural critique. Her paintings invite viewers to reflect on the subtle dynamics that define identity, connection and the roles we inhabit.