Esra Nesipogullari

Esra Nesipoğulları (1991), born and raised in Turkey, is a multidisciplinary artist currently based in Mantua, Italy. Her work explores intersections of language, identity, syntax, borders, and spatial constructs through digital drawing, embroidery, and textile-based practices. She focuses on the materiality of language, constructing alternative scripts and letterforms that exist outside singular cultural or national frameworks. With a background in architecture, she applies structural thinking to reimagine linguistic systems and challenge dominant narratives through abstracted textual forms.

She has exhibited her work in France, the United Kingdom, and Italy, and has participated in residencies in Toulouse and Marseille. In 2013, she conducted urban research in Cuba, deepening her engagement with spatial politics. After several years working in architectural design offices in London, Istanbul, and later Verona, she transitioned in 2020 toward artistic research and studio practice, while maintaining ties to architectural office work.

Since 2021, she has been a co-founder of the research think tank Al Mukhatab, together with Amal Muntaser, focusing on decolonial thinking and museum studies. Her practice navigates themes of language, identity, and representation, merging digital techniques with tactile craftsmanship.

Esra Nesipoğulları is in residence at Can Serrat in February 2026.