Bio
Ilayda Mercankaya is a self-taught visual artist based in Germany. Influenced by her professional background in market research and the systematic evaluation of human behavior, she develops a practice that merges analytical methodology with durational drawing processes.
Mercankaya develops surfaces through repetition, accumulation, and interaction with material resistance. Lines respond to the environment, bodily movement, and the physical constraints of the tools used, producing works that function as records of time and space rather than planned compositions. Her practice investigates line as a topographic system, tracing time, tension, flow, and structural relationships.
She has exhibited her work at The Württembergischer Kunstverein and continues to develop series that explore the intersection of line, material, and spatial mapping.
Artist Statement
My work originates in portraiture. While the figure has disappeared from the images, the narrative remains. Coming from a background in analyzing human behavior, I treat drawing as an objective record of time and space. My practice looks at the human need to impose order on chaotic environments. I approach drawing as a system for mapping tension and structural limits.
My process relies on setting foundational rules and watching how the materials interact with or break them. Currently, this takes shape in my Topographies series, which documents states of displacement and temporal suspension. By forcing fragile tools into unstable spaces (like waiting rooms, cafes, parks, or transit areas), the physical act of drawing creates material friction. The resulting wear on the paper and accumulated ink serve as markers of time, documenting the attempt to hold on to order in a fractured setting. The work captures the discrepancy between one’s needs and realities.
