“My art is my reality.” The passage of time – from Ancient Greece to the present – is the inspiration behind works from artist Uğur Çakı. The diverse pieces are tinged with the surreal: a chair seems to grow wings; paper clippings transform into white doves; a classical statue is adorned with polka-dot print. These are the works on view in The Path That Leads to the Essence of Life is Art, the latest exhibition at BAP Gallery, Paris.

The show is the artist’s first in the city. It features new, never-before-seen pieces alongside three more established works. Each object seems to meld time – like Salvador Dalí’s melting clocks. The uncanny seeps into every corner of the gallery space, offering a deep dive into the unconscious. “I want to create a surrealist and imaginary space,” the artist notes. “It is going to have a special, breathing atmosphere.”

Çakı’s pieces combine influences from the history of art and culture, plucking stories from the everyday and mixing them with tales from antiquity. “I’m revisiting Ancient Greek characters and making them present-day heroes,” he notes. “I’m writing these myths and stories onto the artwork… with a sense of humour.” This is evident pieces such as Alexander with Wireless, a classical bust wearing headphones.

From photography and digital art to sculpture, Çakı harnesses a variety of materials to express messages that are at once transformative and tongue-in-cheek. “I describe myself as a multidisciplinary artist. I use ceramic, bronze, junk metal, epoxy and more. I’m experimenting – and all the materials are educating me.” This mixture of approaches is arresting and compelling – reflecting the complexities of the stories they tell.

The exhibition runs from 15 November – 1 December. Find out more here.

Lead image: Uğur Çakı, from The Path That Leads to the Essence of Life is Art.