SOLO EXHIBITION LONG BEACH, CA
Dance
Competition
The rhythm of life.
The energy of color.
Figures in motion.
Paintings by Hasan Avni Özdüzen
Explore the paintings
October 10–24, 2026HELLADA Art Gallery / Long BeachOpening night · October 10
01 / OPENING NIGHT
Art brings us together.
Photographs from the opening reception of Dance Competition at HELLADA Art Gallery. An evening of paintings, conversation, and company.
THE ARTIST’S OPENING STATEMENT
Movement
is life.
My name is Avni Özdüzen and I have been painting for about 25 years. Movement is very important in my paintings. To me, life is like riding a bicycle. Especially as we grow older, if we stop moving, we lose our balance and fall. Movement is life.
Young female figures are at the center of my works. I simplify these figures, reducing them to their essential forms. I draw inspiration from the sincerity and simplicity of Aşık Yunus Emre.
I choose dance competitions because they express movement and emotions in a very powerful and beautiful way. For me, painting is a way of sharing what I have experienced and inviting viewers to find a piece of their own lives in my paintings.
Thanks for coming.
02 / THE WORKS
A study in movement.
Expressive lines, complementary colors, and the shared energy of dance. Explore the paintings in Dance Competition.
Numbers identify works in this online catalogue; they are not painting titles.
03 / THE ARTIST
A life shaped by
art & motion.
From civil engineering to a quarter-century devoted to painting.
Hasan Avni Özdüzen is a retired civil engineer with a master’s degree who has dedicated the last twenty-five years to painting and artistic expression. After fifteen years of participating in group exhibitions, he presented three solo exhibitions in Turkey: Portrait, Figure, and Figures in Motion.
Dance Competition, his fourth solo exhibition, brings this journey to America. Through simple, expressive lines and the interplay of contrasting and complementary colors, he explores movement as an essential part of human vitality.
“I try to express the importance, rhythm, and spirit of movement through my figures and compositions.”— Hasan Avni Özdüzen
How I create my paintings
Artist’s statement · June 27, 2026
First, I try to come up with an original idea. To do this, I make lots of sketches. I ask myself questions and try to find the answers. Finding a truly original idea can take months or even a year.
After I find an idea, I work on developing a subject that can be visualized based on that idea. Finding the right subject may also take three to five months.
Once I have clearly defined the subject, I go to libraries and look through many books to research it. Then I visit museums so I can see similar works.
After finalizing my subject, I make numerous sketches. I strive to create original compositions rather than repeating existing forms.
If I am satisfied with my sketches, before I begin painting, I enlarge the chosen drawing onto a large sheet of cardboard. I then transfer that drawing onto the canvas. After that, I start painting.
From beginning to end, producing a series of paintings on a single subject takes me about one year.
04 / THE EXHIBITION
FREE ADMISSIONSee the works.
Feel the rhythm.
Join us in Long Beach for Dance Competition, a solo exhibition by Hasan Avni Özdüzen.
Get directionsWHEN
WHERE
HELLADA Art Gallery
117 Linden Avenue
Long Beach, California
For gallery hours, please contact HELLADA.
Take the exhibition with you.