Onur - profile

Onur / Onur Dinc

Urban Art, Photorealism

February 22, 2015

Swiss-born artist Onur Dinc is best known for his large-scale murals, which he has painted all over the world. Fascinated with photorealism, he employs acrylic paint and brushes to create his works on canvas, paper and walls. His unique style has garnered him international fame and numerous collaborations with other major street artist artists, such as Wes21. Other significant projects include the commission for big global companies like Volvo. Onur's figurative work has also appeared in the music videos of German hip-hop artist Kool Savas.

Theater Scenography 

Onur was born in Zurchwil, Switzerland, in 1979 to Turkish parents. He has been interested in art since he was a young boy, but he got his love for figurative paintings from his sister. Both parents were Turkish immigrants struggling to make ends meet, so his love of art was not encouraged. Instead, it was considered a risky choice usually reserved for children from wealthy families. Also, making a living with just art was something only a few accomplished. Going against his parents' wishes, Onur entered an apprenticeship as a painter and, upon completion, studied theatre scenography for four years in Solothurn. Also, he worked for three years at the Basel advertising agency FAVO. In 2006 the artist began exhibiting his work for the first time in Germany and Switzerland. The success of the shows proved to him it was time to devote himself to art fully, and he left the theatre the following year.

Onur's Street Art

In 2008, Onur met artists, Remo Lienhard, aka WES-21, and Pascal Flühmann, aka KKADE, who introduced him to the world of street art. Onur successfully collaborated with WES-21 on numerous projects around the world, including New York, Budapest, Reykjavík, Berlin, Miami, and Paris, to name a few. One of their biggest projects was a mural on the 5 Pointz Building in New York City which immediately caught the public's attention. No matter how big his project might be, Onur's favourite tools are the brush and the roller. The gestural touch in all his work fades when viewed from afar, making it more photorealistic. The artist often adds luminescent paint to make his pieces stand out even in the dark. Even though he actively exhibits his work in galleries, Onur prefers working in urban settings, for it offers spontaneous interaction with the public.

Social Commentary

In Turkish, Onur means honour, self-esteem and dignity. For him, art should be used to comment on society and raise awareness. In 2017 he joined the international event Oceans Festival to give voice to oceans through art in Napier, New Zealand. Onur painted the stunning large-scale mural entitled Last Island. Through metaphorical pictorial representation, he conveyed a powerful message about the damage humans are inflicting on nature. The painted polar bear stands alone on an island about to be engulfed in flame. The image speaks about animals suffering and humanity's need to consume everything.

Onur lives and works in Solothurn, Switzerland and Berlin.

Featured image: Onur. Copyright of the artist

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