“It takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.”
— Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass

This line, spoken by the Red Queen in Lewis Carroll’s chess-structured novel, captures the paradox of movement within systems: effort does not guarantee progress, and motion without strategy leads only to repetition.

Kıslaoğlu draws from this literary foundation to position the Red Queen not as a decorative monarch, but as a symbol of disciplined authority. Within Carroll’s world, identity and power are defined by placement on the board by rules, rank, and consequence. The queen embodies command inside constraint.

The painting translates this philosophy into a contemporary visual language. The figure’s composed posture and direct gaze suggest awareness rather than impulse. Strength is rendered through restraint; dominance through precision. The geometric costume echoes the chessboard’s architecture, reinforcing themes of structure, hierarchy, and calculated motion. The knight emblem signals tactical intelligence power exercised with foresight.

Rather than celebrating speed or spectacle, The Red Queen reflects on strategic endurance: the capacity to move deliberately within rigid systems while maintaining presence and control.

This work forms part of Kışlaoğlu’s ongoing 64 Series, an exploration of silent power structures, human roles, and the psychological landscapes of strategy.

Artist Statement
“I am interested in power that understands its environment. The Red Queen reminds us that movement alone is not mastery awareness is.”

There is a difference between movement and power.

In Queen Over Knight, Simay Kislaoglu explores quiet authority through the language of chess.

A woman stands still, calm, and self-possessed.
Above her rises the knight symbol of action, impulse, and unpredictability.

The knight moves fast.
The queen sees far.

Although the knight is placed higher, the woman carries the presence of the queen the most powerful figure on the board. This contrast is intentional. Height is not dominance. Motion is not control.

The painting reflects a simple truth about life:
real power is not loud. It is aware.

Part of the artist’s 64 Series, inspired by the chessboard’s sixty-four squares, the work examines strategy, hierarchy, and inner discipline the silent forces that shape decisions and destinies.

There is no battle here.
Only mastery.

“Power is not in rushing forward.
Power is in knowing when not to move.”

Sancta Potentia | The 64 Series

Oil on canvas, 100 × 150 cm  

In Sancta Potentia, contemporary figurative oil painter Simay Kışlaoğlu explores “holy power” not as spectacle, but as purity a strength that does not shout, chase, or prove itself. The work offers a quiet proposition: the cleanest power is the one that remains unstained.

A frontal female figure meets the viewer with calm directness. Behind her, a luminous golden halo is not decoration; it functions as a sign of inner clarity an untouched space held in discipline. Gold appears here not as luxury, but as clean light: restraint, devotion, and self-command made visible.

The stillness of the portrait is deliberate. Nothing performs. Nothing begs. The authority of the image comes from control power expressed as composure rather than aggression.

With Sancta Potentia, Simay Kışlaoğlu continues her ongoing figurative language where symbolism is used with economy and precision. The painting stands as an icon for the present time: not religious in message, but sacred in feeling because it honors what is rare: purity.

Artwork details
• Title: Sancta Potentia
• Artist: Simay Kışlaoğlu
• Medium: Oil on canvas
• Size: 100 × 150 cm
• Date: January 2026

Simay Kışlaoğlu | CHECKMATE

January 2026 — Istanbul

Oil on canvas, 120 × 180 cm | The 64 Series

Checkmate is not about the game.
It is about the moment you stop explaining yourself.

In this painting, Simay Kışlaoğlu builds a portrait out of inner discipline. The chessboard is not scenery; it is structure. It wraps the figure like a rule she chose voluntarily. Around her, the pieces hover like thoughts with weight: decisions that stayed, memories that shaped her, a future already sensed.

Nothing is dramatic here. That is the point.
The tension is quiet. The power is contained.

For the first time, Simay Kışlaoğlu leaves her familiar reds and blues behind and enters an earth-led palette brownish tones, muted gold, deep burgundy. The color doesn’t decorate the painting; it steadies it. The silence becomes heavier. The presence becomes final.

Checkmate stands as a turning point within the 64 Series a work that clarifies an emerging signature: classical precision, symbolic economy, and stoic stillness as a form of strength.

Artwork: Checkmate, oil on canvas, 120 × 180 cm
Series: The 64 Series | Date: January 2026
Instagram: @simay_kislaoglu

“Each painting tells a story. I can’t sit still I have to create, I have to paint. I want to mark my name in the world. Even when I’m gone, I want people to remember me through my artworks.”

The Chess Series: Power, Identity, and Inner Battles
In her signature Chess Series, Simay Kışlaoğlu places herself in symbolic roles Queen, Knight, Rook exploring the complexity of human decisions and emotional struggles. She uses the chessboard as a metaphor for life: strategy, risk, sacrifice, and the battle between logic and emotion.
These works are not about victory. They are about courage the courage to stand before making a move.

Cinders and Queens
150 × 150 cm · Oil on Canvas
“Where power rises from ashes.”
Cinders and Queens represents rebirth after destruction. Inspired by the myth of the phoenix, the painting speaks of transformation through pain. It expresses that true strength is not given it is forged.
The message is clear: even after collapse, something stronger can rise.
As Nietzsche said, “What does not kill me makes me stronger.”

Queen of Illusions
90 × 120 cm · Oil on Canvas
Influenced by the elegance of classical masters like Vermeer, Queen of Illusions connects past and present. The calm expression, soft light, and realistic detail create a sense of intimacy yet the bold checkerboard introduces modern tension.
It asks a quiet question: What is real, and what is illusion?
In today’s world of masks and shifting truths, the painting challenges the viewer to look deeper.

Red Gambit
120 × 180 cm · Oil on Canvas
In Red Gambit, life is shown as a chessboard of choices. Black and white represent strategy and logic but through them cuts a stroke of red, symbolizing passion, risk, and instinct.
This painting reminds us that true mastery is not avoiding mistakes, but daring to act.
It does not ask, Will you win?
It asks, Will you dare to move?

Contemporary Istanbul – 20th Edition
A Sold-Out Success
Simay Kışlaoğlu’s participation in the 20th Edition of Contemporary Istanbul, represented by AWC Gallery, marked a major moment in her career. Her works attracted high collector interest, and most pieces were sold during the fair.
Viewers were drawn not only to her technique, but to the emotional power in her gaze and symbolism. Word spread quickly: a unique artistic voice had arrived.

Legacy
Simay Kışlaoğlu paints to build memory to leave proof of spirit. Her art carries a timeless aim: to remain long after the world grows silent.
“I do not paint to be seen. I paint to remain.”

Dear Friends,

This September, I will be honored to take part in the 20th edition of Contemporary Istanbul, representing AWC Contemporary Gallery at Hall A, Stand A-115.

For me, portraiture in oil has always been more than likeness. It is an act of witnessing. Each canvas becomes a dialogue between presence and absence, between what the eye sees and what memory preserves. In the slow layering of paint, time itself is stretched each brushstroke an echo of stillness in a restless world.

The human face, with all its fragility and strength, remains an inexhaustible subject. It reminds us that individuality is infinite, yet profoundly universal. At Contemporary Istanbul, I will present works that attempt to capture this paradox portraits that are both personal and collective, intimate yet resonant beyond the frame.

Event details
Dates: 24–28 September 2025 (Preview: 24 September)
Venue: Tersane İstanbul
Stand: Hall A, A-115

Contemporary Istanbul, now in its 20th year, is not only a meeting place for artists and collectors, but a living archive of how art mirrors our age. To be part of this edition is to step into that larger conversation.
I welcome you to join me there, to encounter these works in person, and perhaps to recognize in a painted face some reflection of your own story.

With gratitude,
Simay

In a world of distractions and challenges, Simay finds strength in the profound lessons of Stoic literature. By embodying virtues like resilience and self-improvement, she infuses each brushstroke with purpose and meaning, striving to uplift and inspire others through her work.

“I will never cease creating because Stoicism has shown me the value of growth and serving a greater purpose,” says Simay. “Through my art, I aim to bring beauty and meaning into the world, aligning my creative endeavors with Stoic ideals of excellence and virtue.”

Simay’s commitment to her craft transcends mere artistic expression; it reflects her dedication to personal development and making a difference in society. Her art stands as a testament to the transformative influence of creativity and the enduring impact of Stoic principles on leading a purposeful life.

Join Simay Kislaoglu on her journey of artistic exploration and philosophical inspiration as she continues to create with passion, purpose, and a steadfast commitment to making a positive difference in the world.