Emir Uras was born in Istanbul in 1969. He studied at the Architectural Association School of Architecture (AA) in London, Kingston Polytechnic, Survey and received his Masters Degree in Architecture from Southern California Institute of Architecture Los Angeles (SCIARC).

He set up Urastudio Architects in Los Angeles and moved his practice to Istanbul in 1998. In 2003 he teamed up with Durmus Dilekci to form Uras×Dilekci Architects. He is currently working as the principal at URAStudio in Bebek, Istanbul.

Parallel to his architectural practice, Emir Uras also works as an artist, using drawing, painting, printing sculpture and animation as mediums for his work.

The traces of his architectural background are very evident in his art, especially in his ‘crafted digital prints’ where he takes his drawings and paintings into another realm by modeling them, with the use of 3D computer technology and then printing them on various materials, sometimes reworking them again.

His abstract prints reflect, poetic rhythm and are dominant with curved, floating forms. His play with space and spaciousness has its source in nature and the continiuous exploration of consciousness through drawing. The interplay of forms and the layering of hovering perspectives create works which have their own nature. They linger in a gravity defying dance, communicating with each other and the viewer.

He works with a professional team to develop his drawings and ideas into the final forms. Handan Yalki and Salih Küçüktuna assisted development of the Grace, Spiral and Sacred series.

Selected Exhibitions / Artfairs

2014 Plugin, Contemporary Istanbul
2013 Sacred, C.A.M. Gallery
2012 Contemporary Istanbul
2012 Solo Projects, Basel
2011 Contemporary Istanbul
2011 ArtBeat Istanbul, Istanbul
2011 Marrakech Art Fair, Marrakech
2011 500 Flowers for Zeyneb, C.A.M Gallery, Istanbul
2011 Istanbul Summer Exhibition, Antrepo 5, IstanbulWORKS
2000 No-thing, C.A.M Gallery, Istanbul

In June 2011 Emir Uras released a book of 500 flower drawings dedicated to his wife Zeyneb titled 500 flowers for Zeyneb. He refers to the book as visual poetry. The drawings that make the book were the initial foundation for the development of the digital work that followed.