Niche

The Body at Rest

Niche is a space of quiet withdrawal, where silence is felt in fabric, corners, and breath.

A woman leans into a curtain, curls around a chair, or rests in the light between two rooms. Niche pictures the tactile relationship between the body and its surroundings—not as performance but as presence. These are the private theatres of everyday solitude, where a window frame becomes a proscenium and a fold of bedding becomes a landscape.

The series takes its name literally. Figures occupy architectural recesses: the hollow of an ornate wooden cabinet, the depth of a window embrasure, the shadow beneath a skylight. They fold themselves into corners as if the room had made space for them, or as if they were trying to disappear into its geometry. The body does not dominate the interior; it negotiates with it, finding the places where it can rest.

Domestic objects accumulate meaning. Heavy curtains in burgundy and brown frame figures like stage drapes; velvet armchairs hold bodies the way hands hold faces. Cats appear throughout—curled nearby, walking past, watching—silent witnesses to private hours. On the walls, art answers back: Alphonse Mucha’s sinuous figures, classical drawings of draped women, photographs of nudes. These images-within-images create a quiet dialogue, a mise en abyme where the photographed body echoes the bodies already hanging in the room.

The work recalls Vermeer’s interiors, where light enters through leaded windows and figures exist in a suspension between action and stillness. But Yıldırım’s spaces are more worn, more lived-in—Berlin apartments with radiators and winter trees visible through glass, Italian villas with cracked plaster, anonymous hotel rooms beneath Art Nouveau headboards. The vulnerability of Nan Goldin’s domestic photographs is present here too, though softer, less confessional. These are not documents of crisis but records of the ordinary intimacy between a person and the rooms they inhabit.

Natural light shapes everything. Morning sun burns out window details while leaving figures in silhouette; late afternoon gilds skin and wood alike. Some images are rendered in black-and-white, emphasizing form and shadow over warmth. In others, colour is muted to the palette of old textiles: cream, ochre, the deep red of curtain fabric.

Niche reveals the interiors of both spaces and emotions. Time is deliberately slowed. Bodies cling to table edges as if holding a thought; others dissolve into the folds of bedding. The series is ongoing, developed over more than a decade across private homes and borrowed rooms. Selected works are available as limited edition archival prints through Artsper, Saatchi Art, and Artmajeur.

A nude figure leans against a window, framed by flowing brown curtains, illuminated softly in a dimly lit room.
A nude figure poses elegantly on a vintage burgundy sofa, framed by warm orange curtains and a deep blue wall, softly lit from a window.
Silhouette of a nude figure poses in a sunlit window, flanked by sheer curtains, with a cozy bed in a softly lit room.
Silhouette of a nude figure posed in a window, framed by sheer white curtains, softly illuminated against a light background.
Nude figure reclining on a bed, with a vibrant orange mural of a couple embracing in the background and soft white bedding.
Nude figure reclines on a bed, draped in white linens, with a colorful mural of a couple in the background, creating a soft, intimate atmosphere.
Nude legs rest on a stylish black table beside a striking sculpture, with contemporary art displayed on the wall and soft furnishings in view.
A nude figure reclines on a blue upholstered sofa, with soft natural light enhancing the serene atmosphere and warm wooden floor.
Soft monochrome image of a nude figure reclining on a bed, sheets draped casually, emphasizing curves and gentle shadows.
Nude woman with intricate tattoos poses on a table, a black-and-white cat walks by, vintage nude art photographs hang in the background.
A woman with tattoos stands in a sunlit window, near a plush sofa and a potted plant, with a black cat sitting nearby.
A black and white portrait of a woman with long hair, posing semi-nude by a window, partially draped in a curtain, exuding elegance.
A person in a sheer black robe stands by a window, light streaming through, with soft textures contrasting against a minimalistic backdrop.
A silhouette of a woman in a sheer black robe stands by a large window, with branches visible outside, creating a soft, light-filled atmosphere.
A silhouetted figure stands behind a sheer curtain, showcasing a tattoo on the back with soft light filtering through, creating ethereal tones.
Nude figure softly illuminated behind a sheer curtain, with a red drape in the background, creating a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere.
Soft, ethereal portrait of a nude figure partially veiled by sheer fabric, framed by soft natural light and contrasting red drapery.
Silhouette of a nude figure framed by sheer curtains, standing by an open window, bathed in soft, natural light. Black and white tones.
Black and white photograph of a person striking a pose near a window, wearing a jacket and shorts, emphasizing body contours and natural light.
Nude figure poses near a window, wearing a black jacket, with light streaming through textured glass, creating a dramatic silhouette.
Nude figure seated on a washing machine, bathed in dim, dramatic lighting, with shadows accentuating the contours and textures.
Silhouetted figure of a woman with short hair, standing against a textured wall, illuminated by soft light creating dramatic shadows.
A nude figure leans on a kitchen counter, highlighting curves in soft light; bananas and a wine bottle are nearby. Monochrome tones create an intimate atmosphere.
Silhouette of a nude figure in a dimly lit room, accentuated by shadows, with a basket, wine bottle, and bananas visible nearby.
A nude figure with long dark hair, reclining against a wall, arms raised, framed by warm tones and a vintage portrait in the background.
A woman poses nude beside an ornate wooden cabinet, with natural light casting soft shadows in an elegant, neutral-toned room.
A figure poses in a softly lit room, adorned with vintage wooden furniture and ornate decor, contrasting with muted wall tones.
Nude figure seated on a desk, silhouetted against bright, sheer curtains, surrounded by bookshelves and vintage decor.
Silhouette of a woman sitting on a desk by a large window, surrounded by books, with soft natural light filtering through sheer curtains.
A nude figure standing near a window, illuminated by soft light, against a bright, minimalistic white interior.
A woman with a towel on her head sits on a bed, her back to the viewer, in a softly lit, minimalist room with white walls.
Dimly lit bedroom featuring a bed with plush pillows, a soft glow from wall lamps, and a nude figure seated against a curtain.

Burak’s most recent works convey portions of female body parts with extreme high contrast and in fusion with texture, however his works showing full female figures in interiors convey a sense of psychological and theatrical strategy towards understanding the relationship between figures and space.

Aedra Fineart – Michael Hanna. Full Article: https://www.pointpleasantpublishing.net/single-post/burak-bulut-yildirim

All Projects / Exhibitions

UnNude

Silhouette of a crouching figure on a light background, emphasizing muscular limbs and dynamic pose, creating a sense of movement.

Not nude, but reimagined. In UnNude, flesh becomes form, and desire fades into geometry.

Niche

A nude figure sits gracefully on a vintage red velvet sofa, illuminated by natural light from a nearby window against a deep blue wall.

Niche is a space of tender withdrawal—where silence echoes in fabric, corners, and breath.

Ecotone

Naked figure partially obscured by foliage, posed against a tranquil lake, surrounded by lush greenery under soft sunlight.

Body becomes part of a living landscape—blurring the lines between skin, soil, and sunlight. 

Elsewhere

A nude model poses gracefully in a vibrant alley, adorned with pastel-colored walls and hanging laundry above.

Elsewhere follows the body through city shadows—unnoticed, unstilled, unreal.

Antemortem

A nude figure stands in a dimly lit barn, holding a ram's skull, framed by wooden slats and a window, in black and white.

A body caught between memory and erasure. Antemortem traces the soft residue of life before it slips into silence.

Crave

Silhouetted figures of a couple embrace closely, shrouded in smoke, highlighting their intimate connection against a soft, light backdrop.

Desire speaks in color. Crave paints the body with longing, each image trembling between heat and hunger.

Motus

A blurred figure with red hair poses against a dark background, arms raised, conveying a dynamic and expressive moment in nude art.

Not frozen moments, but echoes in motion. Motus captures the body in flux—between gesture, memory, and breath.

Lucida

Portrait of a figure with luminous, multicolored body paint against a dark background, delicately touching their chin, exuding ethereal beauty.

Under blacklight, the body becomes flare—a glow, an echo, a mirage. Lucida seeks the threshold where form dissolves.

Chimera

Monochrome image of a distorted human form submerged in water, with fluid reflections creating soft, wavy contours and shadows.

Mirrored, fractured, reformed. Chimera turns the body into illusion, where flesh bends under the gaze.

Melancholia

A nude figure leans on a wooden piano, surrounded by soft, warm lighting and draped fabric, conveying an intimate, melancholic mood.

Melancholia doesn’t shout—it lingers. These images carry silence, like a breath held too long.