About me
From having been born so often I have salty experience like
creatures of the sea with a passion for stars and an earthy destination.
And so I move without knowing to which world
I'll be returning or if I'll go on living.
-- P. Neruda
Born in Istanbul, moved to New York at the age of 24, I am a multi-disciplinary artist, and my artistic explorations are reflections of the human psyche. I aim to surprise viewers at first sight by creating transparent connections, then invite them into my personal space by revealing layers of information. For me, the balance between material reality and spiritual fiction is the cornerstone of my creative process.
As a Turkish-American female artist, my diverse international experiences are captured in the structural and socio-political aspects of my work. Growing up in a culture, shaped highly around tradition and religion, I found solace in artistic expression to highlight the absurdities of life. Condition of humanity, womanhood, childhood, climate change crisis, universal interaction, relatedness, and existential rhythm are the most common elements reflected in my explorations. By creating a language that combines psychology, Eastern and Western philosophies, and spirituality, I aim to capture the essence of humanity and its place within the cosmic order.
My works meet at a plateau surrounded by mixed-media, spatial design, and multimedia. By utilizing various media together or individually, I provide myself a very flexible and free playground. My hands, eyes and soul work together, always looking for a way to release the harmonic dance and flow.
A graduate of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University with a BFA in Ceramics, I continued my studies in interior architecture at Parsons School of Design, New York, while simultaneously teaching as an adjunct faculty member in Product and Communication Design departments. Later I received my graduate degree, MFA in multimedia at Parsons' Design & Technology Department. During my New York years, I had the chance of working with several world-renowned artists and designers such as Marek Cecula, Eva Zeisel, Jonathan Adler and Forrest Myers. I'm deeply grateful for their mentorship and the opportunity to participate in their creative processes.
Since I'm a Mediterranean child, I couldn't take the cold weather of New York anymore and relocated to Los Angeles with my family in 2016. Besides the American Craft Museum, Istanbul Fine Arts Museum, Art Istanbul and Contemporary Istanbul Fairs, Beyaz Contemporary Art Auctions, my works are being featured at various art galleries and events, and are being included in corporate and private collections across the globe.
Biography
Education
Parsons School of Art & Design, New School University, New York
MFA in Design & Technology, with a multimedia concentration 1999 - 2001
Parsons School of Art & Design, New School University, New York
AAS in Interior Architecture 1993 - 95
Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul
BFA, Ceramics Art & Design 1988 - 92
Bosphorus University, Istanbul
History Department – English Prep. year, 1987 - 88
Member of Blue Ensemble Rock & Jazz Choir of Bosphorus Univ. 1987-92
Istanbul Highschool, 1979 - 87
Middle- & Highschool in German / Deutsche Abteilung
Honors & Awards
Dean's Scholarship, Parsons School of Design, NYC, 1999-2001
Visiting Artist, Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1992-93
Young Artist Award, award being a one-month research trip to Italy, 2. Golden Jug Competition organized by Izmir Art Museum and Izmir Rotary Club, Izmir, Turkey
Solo Exhibitions
2018 'Solo OZ', Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce, CA
2015 'Perpetual Voyage', Turker Art Gallery, Istanbul
2013 'Rhythm', Art Inside Piola, Point Hotel, Istanbul ... read more
2011 'In the State of Ecstasy', Gallery LinArt, Istanbul ... read more
2006 'My Poses Are Permanent', Gallery A, Istanbul
2003 'On the Move', Port Art Gallery, Göcek, Turkey
2000 'From Violation to Fragmentation', Gallery X, New York
1994 'Untitled', Hoboken Gallery, Hoboken, New Jersey
1993 'Mobil-ness', Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Michigan
Group Exhibitions
Los Angeles years
2019 Summer in MB, Manhattan Beach Art Center, CA
2019 Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair, CA
2018 Metlox Art Fair, Manhattan Beach, CA
2018 Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair, CA
2017 ‘Abstracted Badass’, ShockBoxx Gallery, Hermosa Beach, CA
2017 Hermosa Beach Art Fest, CA
2017 Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair, CA
Istanbul & Gocek years
2015 'The Nominative Case', Casa dell’Arte Galleries, Bodrum
2014 Contemporary Istanbul, International Art Fair, with Gallery MCRD, Istanbul
2014 'Art Attack II', Turker Art Gallery, Tesvikiye, Istanbul
2014 'Close Up', by Art50.net, Casa dell’Arte Galleries, Bodrum
2014 'Reflex', Gallery MCRD, Tophane, Istanbul
2014 Online exhibition, www.Art50.net
2014 ‘8 March 8 Women’, Maltepe University Fine Arts Faculty Gallery, Istanbul
2013 Contemporary Istanbul, International Art Fair, with Gallery LinArt, Istanbul
2013 'SMART Cities & HYBRID Identities', Scoletta di San Giovanni Battista, Venice
2011 'Istanbul Summer Exhibition', Antrepo 5 art port, organized by Beyaz Art
and TimeOut-Istanbul ... read more
2009 'Prisms of Creativity', Antik Cisterna Galleries, Istanbul
2008 'Passes', Gallery Kent, Istanbul
2007 'Usual Suspects', Gallery A, Istanbul
2006 Contemporary Istanbul, with Gallery A, International Art Fair, Istanbul
2006 'Summer 2006', Gallery A, Istanbul
2005 ArtIstanbul, with Art*8 Gallery, International Art Fair, Istanbul
2005 'TR-anslated Worlds', Abney Hall, London
2004 ArtIstanbul, with Port Art Gallery, International Art Expo, Istanbul
2004 'Personal Traces', by Vitra, Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum, Istanbul
2003 ‘No emphaty’, Gallery X, Tünel, Istanbul
2003 Established Port Art Gallery, Göcek, Turkey
2002 ‘5 years of Gallery X’, Galeri X, Istanbul
New York years
2002 ‘X-treme X-teriors’... The Church of All Saints, Harlem-New York
2002 'Contemporary European Art: Art from the Balkan Countries' , Thessaloniki, Greece
2001 'Re: Duchamp' Traveling Exhibit, organized by NY Arts Magazine, Europe and Venice Biennale
2001 ‘I/O’ multimedia show, Parsons Galleries, New York
2001 Video Festival, Gallery X, New York
2001 Four-person Show, ARamona Gallery, New York
2000 'Corridor', Asia Minor Gallery, New York
2000 ‘Path to Wisdom’, interactive 3-D journey, www.istanbulmuseum.org
2000 'Y2CLAY' Gallery X, New York
1999 ‘X-treme X-teriors’, Marcus Garvey Park, New York
1999 ‘Mayfest 99’, Dallas, Texas
1999 ‘Audio-Video Show’, Gallery X, Harlem, New York
1999 ‘Women’s History Month’, Parsons School of Design, New York
1998 ‘The Art of Change’, The Times Square Lobby Gallery, New York
1998 ‘X-treme X-teriors’, Marcus Garvey Park, New York
1998 ‘Unrelated’, Gallery X, Harlem, New York
1996 American Craft Museum, New York
1995 ‘Three Individual Shows of Tea Celebration’ , Salon.Cafe.Tea Emporium, SoHo, New York
1992 ‘2nd Golden Jug Contest’, by Izmir Rotary Club and Izmir Art Museum, Izmir