Memed Erdener İstanbul, b. 1970

Memed Erdener (b. 1970, Turkey) began his artistic career under the pseudonym Extrastruggle. Operating under this name, he produced bold, outward-facing works rich with distinctive cultural and political references. As befits its name, Extrastruggle was conceived as a project of resistance against the dogmatic propaganda system of the Republic of Turkey.

Erdener’s work consistently challenges state ideology and frequently confronts the deeply entrenched taboo that lays bare in the layers of politics. In his manifesto, he describes Extrastruggle as a fictional graphic design firm that creates “logos for all communities under social pressure.”

Drawing from his background in graphic design, Erdener uses minimalist visual language to construct incisive semiotics within his works that decode, reconfigure, and subvert the visual symbols of authority and nationalism. Through this synthesis of design and critique, Erdener constructs powerful, multilayered narratives that question systems of representation, control, and collective identity. His ongoing inquiry into the semiotics of power reveals how visual culture both enforces and destabilizes ideological constructs.