Artist · Sculptor b. 1981, Istanbul Lives and works in Istanbul

Emre Yusufi

Sculptor of the Hercules series. Myth, recast for the present tense.

The practice
Emre Yusufi in his Istanbul atelier, surrounded by marble busts
The atelier, Istanbul
IArtist Practice

Classical form. Contemporary culture. A sculptural language built for the present.

Emre Yusufi (b. 1981, Istanbul) is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice brings together classical sculpture, contemporary visual culture and advanced digital fabrication.

Trained in graphic design at Marmara University Fine Arts Faculty, with studies at Academia Italiana in Florence and a master's degree in visual communication design from Yeditepe University, Yusufi approaches sculpture with both the anatomical discipline of the classical tradition and the visual instinct of a contemporary image-maker.

Over the past decade he has developed an immediately recognisable body of work that places one of antiquity's most enduring figures — Hercules — firmly within the language, objects, humour and contradictions of contemporary life.

Hercules is not employed simply as a quotation from mythology. He has become a recurring protagonist: an archetype through whom ideas of strength, ambition, endurance, vulnerability, pleasure and human endeavour can be reconsidered for a contemporary audience. Across different scales, materials and settings, the work remains unmistakably Yusufi.

During the past ten years, more than one hundred sculptures have been acquired by collectors. Works are now held across Europe, the Middle East, the United States, Australia and Mexico, alongside multi-work private commissions and gallery presentations in London, Paris, Rome, New York, Miami and Dubai.

Before sculpture, Yusufi spent years in creative direction and packaging design for global brands — a background that still informs the clarity and immediacy of his sculptural image.

10
Years since the establishment of Emre Yusufi Studio
4
Continents — international exhibitions & collections
100+
Sculptures placed with collectors
80K
And growing social-media audience
Signature series
Hercules
Materials & production
Castable marble, resin and bronze, incorporating 3D modelling, scanning and printing
Selected collaborations
adidas · Samsung · Volvo
IIArtistic Manifesto

Three principles hold the practice together.

The heroic and the everyday are made to coexist — deliberately, and on purpose.

1 / 3

The Herculean mythos as a contemporary vessel

One of the most universally recognised figures inherited from antiquity, Hercules embodies a compelling contradiction: extraordinary strength coupled with fundamentally human trials, weaknesses and responsibilities.

Yusufi removes him from the distance of antiquity. Hercules enters contemporary life — its objects, rituals, technologies, sports, luxuries and absurdities. The viewer may first encounter humour. Behind it lie mythology, history and a distinctly contemporary examination of human behaviour.

2 / 3

The harmony of contrast — static versus kinetic

The physical permanence traditionally associated with sculpture — weight, volume, anatomy, bronze, marble — is repeatedly placed in dialogue with the speed and ephemerality of contemporary culture.

A classical body may encounter a motorcycle, sporting equipment or consumer imagery. These combinations are deliberately improbable, and it is precisely their improbability that creates the work's energy. Contrast becomes a means of collapsing time.

3 / 3

Classical anatomy meets additive manufacturing

Anatomical accuracy remains fundamental. The artist studies movement and complex biomechanical positions closely, at times using his own body to test the credibility of a pose before translating it into three-dimensional form.

That understanding is then developed through digital scanning, modelling and 3D printing within the studio. The technology does not replace the sculptor's hand or judgement; it extends what the studio is capable of achieving — from the intimate to the monumental.

The apparent permanence of Hercules meets the restless velocity of the present. Historical weight encounters contemporary desire. Classical restraint meets popular culture. On the harmony of contrast
IIIWorks

Selected works, 2016 – 2026.

A selection from more than two hundred sculptures. The full catalogue is available on request.

The Champ Turkish Punch — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
The Champ Turkish Punch01
Golden Cello — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Golden Cello02
Hamlet Basketball — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Hamlet Basketball03
American Psycho — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
American Psycho04
Dude With Sign — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Dude With Sign05
007 — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
00706
Golden Cloak — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Golden Cloak07
Leonardo — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Leonardo08
Human After All — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Human After All09
MVP — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
MVP10
Skateboard — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Skateboard11
Extraterrestrial — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Extraterrestrial12
The Mirror — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
The Mirror13
Enso — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Enso14
Angel Home — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Angel Home15
The Ring — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
The Ring16
The Champ Black — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
The Champ Black17
Social Heart — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Social Heart18
The Bust — Picasso — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
The Bust — Picasso19
Heimdall — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Heimdall20
Minted — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Minted21
Mop The Cloud — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Mop The Cloud22
The Champ Love — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
The Champ Love23
Atlas MVP — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Atlas MVP24
Golden Glove — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Golden Glove25
Batman — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Batman26
Dali — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Dali27
Divine Selfie — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Divine Selfie28
Equality — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Equality29
God Is A DJ — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
God Is A DJ30
Good Boy Jeff — sculpture by Emre Yusufi
Good Boy Jeff31
Tap any work to view it in full. Castable marble · resin · bronze

Most recent works and projects.

Recent series — Hercules · David · Fortuna

The Gate — monumental stainless-steel ring with Hercules, garden installation
The GateMonumental · outdoor
The Immortal Game — two seated figures, black and white, at a chessboard
The Immortal GameLarge-scale figures
The Champ Blue — Hercules torso in blue with boxing gloves
The Champ BlueHercules series
The Skateboarder — marble Hercules on a skateboard
The SkateboarderHercules series
Fortuna feeding a Flamingo — draped marble figure with a pink flamingo
Fortuna feeding a FlamingoNew work
Emre Yusufi with four coloured Hercules busts: Golden Hearth, Iron Man, Roman Angel, Miami Man
Busts — Golden Hearth · Iron Man · Roman Angel · Miami ManThe artist with the series
God Is A DJ — monumental Hercules head with headphones, installation view
God Is A DJMonumental · installation view
Marble Hercules in sunglasses riding a golden surfboard on a marble wave, beside a pool
The SurferOutdoor · private collection
Hercules bust with green glasses on a pink marble plinth in a classical interior, a fallen marble face on the floor
Hercules bustPrivate residence
The Sleeping Dervish — monumental reclining figure in a city square, project visualisation
The Sleeping DervishMonumental project
IVExhibition History

From private collections to international presentation.

Solo exhibitions

  • 2021Cue Art Gallery, BomontiadaSolo exhibitionIstanbul, Turkey
  • 2017Emmanuel Fremin GalleryNew York solo showNew York, USA

Group exhibitions & art fairs

  • 2026EuroExpoArt — Vernice Art FairForlì, Italy
  • 2025Parma Art FairParma, Italy
  • 2024Galleria RussoRome, Italy
  • 2024Miart GalleryLondon, UK
  • 2023Natural History MuseumLondon, UK
  • 2023AWC Contemporary Gallery“Hercules is a DJ”Dubai, UAE
  • 2023DIFC Sculpture Park“Hercules the DJ” — “Tales Under the Gate”, among 100+ international artworksDubai, UAE
  • 2022Arte GenovaGenoa, Italy
  • 2022Parma Art FairParma, Italy
  • 2022EuroExpoArt — Vernice Art FairForlì, Italy
  • 2021Les Galeries BartouxSix-month presentationParis, France
  • 2018Ransom Art GalleryLondon, UK
  • 2017Scope New York · Scope Miami · Art New Yorkwith Mark Hachem GalleryNew York & Miami, USA

Institutional & public exhibitions

  • 2023Crocetti MuseumInternational Group Art ExhibitionRome, Italy
  • 2022Crocetti Museum“Sintesi: Confronti sulla Contemporaneità”Rome, Italy
  • 2021–22Murgia Biennial of Contemporary ArtApulia, Italy
  • 2017MACRO — Museo d'Arte ContemporaneaRome, Italy
  • 2016Venanzo Crocetti Museum“Metamorphosi”Rome, Italy
VBrand Works & Partnerships

Hercules meets the brands.

Selected collaborations and press, 2021 – 2025.

The studio's top-three rule
“The partner must rank among the top three in the world in its category. Otherwise, the answer is no.”

The purpose of this discipline is not simply exclusivity. Any collaboration must strengthen rather than dilute the artist's identity, and introduce the work to an audience and context appropriate to the long-term development of the practice.

Active brand partnerships — adidas · Samsung

VIIn the Media

Television, talks and interviews.

Selected broadcast and online appearances, 2018 – 2026 — from TEDx to national television.

O Kapıdan İçeri Girdim… | TEDxMEFUniversity — TEDx Talks TEDx Talks2021 O Kapıdan İçeri Girdim… | TEDxMEFUniversity Sanat — Bowling ve Herkül’ün ortak noktası! — MAC+ MAC+2025 Sanat — Bowling ve Herkül’ün ortak noktası! Loş Sohbet — Emre Yusufi — NeyseNe NeyseNe2020 Loş Sohbet — Emre Yusufi Senin Koltuğun — Emre Yusufi — Enza Home Enza Home2022 Senin Koltuğun — Emre Yusufi Aslı Şafak’la İşin Aslı — Emre Yusufi & Uğur Batı — BloombergHT BloombergHT2019 Aslı Şafak’la İşin Aslı — Emre Yusufi & Uğur Batı Divine Selfie: the story of the 40 ETH NFT sale — Webrazzi Webrazzi2021 Divine Selfie: the story of the 40 ETH NFT sale “Volvo’yu enstrüman gibi kullandım” — Aysun Öz Aysun Öz2024 “Volvo’yu enstrüman gibi kullandım” Sanat alanında kariyer tavsiyeleri — İşin Güzel Yanı — EKOTÜRK TV EKOTÜRK TV2019 Sanat alanında kariyer tavsiyeleri — İşin Güzel Yanı Herkül heykellerinden yapay zekâya: AI sanatın yerini mi alıyor? | Netizen — Medyascope TV Medyascope TV2026 Herkül heykellerinden yapay zekâya: AI sanatın yerini mi alıyor? | Netizen Sound of Volvo — bir otomobilin sesi müziğin ritmine dönüşebilir mi? — Volvo Car Turkey Volvo Car Turkey2024 Sound of Volvo — bir otomobilin sesi müziğin ritmine dönüşebilir mi? Funda Karayel ile Yıldızlı Sohbetler — A Para A Para2025 Funda Karayel ile Yıldızlı Sohbetler Black Is Greatness — Emre Yusufi — NOT XOXO NOT XOXO2019 Black Is Greatness — Emre Yusufi Yapay Zeka yeni bir sanat akımı mı başlatıyor? | Emre Yusufi — CNBC Türkiye CNBC Türkiye2025 Yapay Zeka yeni bir sanat akımı mı başlatıyor? | Emre Yusufi NFT: Dijital Rönesans — Webrazzi Summit 2021 — Webrazzi Webrazzi2022 NFT: Dijital Rönesans — Webrazzi Summit 2021 Kendine Bi’ Yatırım Yap — Bölüm 23: Bilinmeyen Herkül — my TEB my TEB2018 Kendine Bi’ Yatırım Yap — Bölüm 23: Bilinmeyen Herkül Sanat dünyasında dijitalleşme — Dijital Trend — Ascoindex Ascoindex2021 Sanat dünyasında dijitalleşme — Dijital Trend Harmony of Contrast — NTV Gece Gündüz — Cue Art Space · NTV Cue Art Space · NTV2021 Harmony of Contrast — NTV Gece Gündüz
VIIRepresentation & Collections

Where the works live.

The visual language of the work has demonstrated an ability to travel across markets and cultures — from established European collecting centres to the United States, the Middle East, Australia and Mexico — without losing its immediate recognisability.

Active gallery representation

  • Les Galeries BartouxLondon · Paris · Saint-Paul-de-Vence · Cannes · Honfleur
  • Miart GalleryMayfair, London

Selected private collection locations

  • Istanbul
  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Austin, TX
  • Luxembourg
  • Amsterdam
  • Rome
  • Monaco
  • Dubai
  • Kuwait City
  • Melbourne
  • Mexico City
  • Courchevel

Public & institutional

  • DIFC Sculpture ParkDubai, 2023
  • Crocetti MuseumRome, 2016 · 2022 · 2023
  • MACRORome, 2017
  • Natural History MuseumLondon, 2023
Opening night of Harmony of Contrast, Emre Yusufi's solo exhibition at Cue Art Space, Istanbul
“Harmony of Contrast” — solo exhibition, Cue Art Space, Istanbul, 2021
VIIIFrom the Studio

Latest from the atelier.

New works, exhibitions and process — as they happen.

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Instagram · @emreyusufi_art Follow the studio ↗
A practice entering its next chapter

The foundations are established. The most ambitious chapters remain ahead.

The first decade of Emre Yusufi Studio has established the essential foundations of the practice. A distinctive visual language has been created. More than one hundred sculptures have entered collections. Collectors have returned repeatedly to acquire further works. The work has travelled internationally.

The coming phase is intended to bring Yusufi into increasingly significant gallery, architectural, public and institutional contexts — monumental public sculpture, architectural integration and wider institutional recognition — while continuing to protect the recognisability and integrity that have driven the work thus far.

Emre Yusufi is no longer establishing whether there is an audience for his work. The question now is how far the practice can go.

Emre Yusufi standing in his atelier holding a small sculpture, light through the studio windows
Emre Yusufi Studio, Istanbul
IXQuestions

The essentials, answered.

Short answers on the artist, the Hercules series, exhibitions and representation.

Who is Emre Yusufi?

Emre Yusufi (b. 1981, Istanbul) is a Turkish contemporary sculptor and multidisciplinary artist, best known as the creator of the Hercules series. He lives and works in Istanbul.

What is the Hercules series?

A body of sculpture that places the classical figure of Hercules within the objects, rituals and humour of contemporary life — boxing gloves, DJ decks, selfies. Notable works include The Champ, God Is A DJ, Divine Selfie and Golden Cello.

What materials and techniques does Emre Yusufi use?

Castable marble, resin and bronze, combined with 3D modelling, scanning and printing. Classical anatomy meets digital fabrication.

Where has Emre Yusufi exhibited?

Natural History Museum, London (2023); DIFC Sculpture Park, Dubai (2023); MACRO and the Crocetti Museum, Rome; and solo exhibitions at Emmanuel Fremin Gallery, New York (2017) and Cue Art Space, Istanbul (2021).

Which galleries represent Emre Yusufi, and how can I acquire a work?

He is represented by Miart Gallery (Mayfair, London) and Les Galeries Bartoux (London, Paris, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, Cannes, Honfleur). Enquiries can also be sent directly to the studio at contact@emreyusufi.com.

Which brands has Emre Yusufi collaborated with?

adidas Originals (/IMAGINE collection, 2025–2027), Samsung, Volvo (Sound of Volvo, 2024), Durex and Lipton.

Where are his works collected?

More than 100 sculptures have been placed in private collections, in cities from Istanbul, Paris, London and New York to Dubai, Melbourne and Mexico City.

Where did Emre Yusufi study?

Marmara University Fine Arts Faculty (graphic design), Academia Italiana in Florence, and an M.A. at Yeditepe University.

Is Emre Yusufi also a musician?

Yes. He plays synthesizer in the band Kontropop.

IXEnquiries

For commissions, exhibitions and collaborations.

contact@emreyusufi.com