Intermedial Relations in Orhan Pamuk's Novel "My Name is Red"

Abstract

Orhan Pamuk's novel My Name is Red is a rich and profound exploration of art, identity, and cultural tradition, with its vivid depiction of Ottoman miniature painting, nuanced characterization, and complex narrative structure. In the novel, Pamuk refuses to use traditional narrative techniques and proposes their deconstruction. Intermediality takes an important place in My Name is Red. Pamuk explains the concept of ekphrasis as "the reflection of visual works of art, paintings, and sculptures in literature." This serves as the theoretical basis of his novels, placing them in the context of interpretive metatext. Among the expressive visual means, the art of painting is especially integrated into the textual-transcendent arc of his novels. In My Name is Red, painting is not just a background detail but a critical part of the narrative and thematic structure. The novel explores various concepts of visual art such as color, style, perspective, and aesthetics, imbuing them with symbolic and metaphorical meaning. The book uses ekphrasis—the vivid, verbal description of a visual work of art—as a recurring narrative strategy, further linking visual arts and literature.