Snapshot: Yener Torun is an architect with a passion for graphic design, walls and the vibrant colors & people that can bring them to life.

Just like any ordinary guy, Torun joined instagram for posting holiday photos, selfies and the usual stream of cat pics – some of which you can still find in his gallery. However, with nothing more than that same iPhone that sends snapchats of Fluffy, and the help of a few trusty favorites like VSCOcam & Photoshop, Torun’s Instagram account changed from a fun hobby to an outlet for his artistic interest and photographic skills.

Torun takes inspiration from three main sources: travel, minimalism and color. Having visited Vienna & Prague last year, he began to make connections with new people in different parts of the world who shared their creativity and perspectives. After some initial street compositions, his work began to lean towards a minimalist style.

“At first the walls were the main subjects of the pictures, but later they were just backgrounds; repetition of architectural elements, symmetry and other geometrical shapes became patterns, some kind of wallpapers for me. The walls were the stages and the actors were the pedestrians walking past those walls. This was fun but some time later I started searching for something else. Finding cool walls and waiting for someone to pass by wasn't very interesting anymore…”

Torun began to color coordinate between the walls and their accompanying pedestrians, giving an extra lease of life to the wall by connecting the architecture and color with a real person.

“They were no longer backgrounds. They were alive and blending with the subject with the help of the matching colors wall and the pedestrian became both background and subject. Something would be missing without one of these elements.”

Torun favors buildings with impressive color palates rather than those that are architectural masterpieces. “They are modernist buildings and they would have been totally boring without those vibrant colors. Those colors make the building much more alive and interesting.”

All photography by Yener Torun.

Follow Torun on @cimkedi