Purr of Sorrow: The Surreal and Psychedelic Pastel Art of Irem Kurban

Irem Kurban, a Turkish artist now living in Berlin, creates mesmerizing surreal portraits with pastel pencils.

Her work brings together human figures and whimsical animal companions—cats, dogs, fish, and birds—that carry symbolic meaning and emotional depth. Through vivid metaphors and intricate details, she invites us into a beautifully strange world where the complexity of our thoughts, memories, and emotions unfolds.

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