Ayşe Erkmen graduated from Mimar Sinan University Department of Sculpture. In 1994-95, she attended the DAAD artist program (Berliner Künstlerprogramm) and spent a year in Berlin. During 1998-1999 she worked as the Arnold Bode Professor at the Kassel Art Academy and she also taught at the Frankfurt Staedelschule from 2000 to 2007 and afterwards at Kunstakademie Münster until 2016. Ayşe Erkmen’s work has been continuously on exhibit in national and international galleries, museums and biennials for the last 40 years.

Her solo exhibitions include, among others, “Itself”, Magazin 4, Bregenz (2012), “15-5519”, Witte de With Centre for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam (2010); “Weggefährten”, Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin (2008); “Hausgenossen”, K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf (2008); “Under the Roof”, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham (2005); “Busy Colours”, Sculpture Centre, New York (2005); “durchnāsst”, Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt (2005); “Kuckuck”, Kunstmuseum St. Gallen, St. Gallen (2003); “Kein gutes Zeichen”, Secession, Vienna (2002). She has also participated in numerous group exhibitions including Manifesta 1, Rotterdam (1996) and Skulpturen Projekte, Münster (1997 and 2017). In addition, she has participated in the 2nd, 4th and 13th International İstanbul Biennials, Shanghai, Berlin, Kwangju, Cetinje, Limerick, Sharjah, Christchurch Biennials and the Folkestone and Echigo Tsumari, Aichi, Setouchi and Ichihara Triennials. Erkmen represented Turkey at the 54th International Art Exhibition at Venice Biennale. Some of her recent exhibitions are Strange Pilgrims, Austin Contemporary, VAC, Austin, (2015); A, (with Ann Veronica Jannsens), SMAK, Gent, Belgium (2015); 4th International Çanakkale Biennial (2014); Une Histoire Art, Architecture, Design des Annes 1980 a nos Jours”, Centre Pompidou, Paris (2014); Ayşe Erkmen: Intervals at The Curve Barbican Centre (2013); Uncertain States at Akademie der Künste, Berlin (2016), “Eins, Zwei, Drei” at State Museum Hellbron, Germany, 2020, Auf den zweiten Blick: Die Sammlung des 21. Jahrhunderts, Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin, 2023.

She lives in Istanbul and Berlin.