Portrait by Berk Kir
What are your earliest memories of art?
I think it really began in my childhood. For as long as I can remember, I've had a deep admiration for drawing, not just the act itself but also a fascination with surfaces such as walls, paper and the textures of paint. From a young age, I always wanted to be a painter. I would draw everywhere and spent a lot of time observing the world around me. When reflect on my current practice, I see many resonances with those early experiences. My way of understanding the world and how I make sense of time, space and memories started then. Growing up in a Greek-Armenian minority household, I was also surrounded by stories, often about people who were no longer there. People whose presence had been erased in some way. This had a profound effect on me that shaped my understanding of absence and emptiness.
At the same time, I was very fortunate that my family had a strong appreciation for art. My mother was a Byzantine art historian, although she couldn't continue her career due to the political climate in Türkiye - as a Greek woman working in that field came with many challenges. I grew up surrounded by her books, visiting exhibitions and historical sites together. My father was a photographer with his own studio, and the idea of having a dedicated space to create had an impact on me. I gained an understanding of what I would love to pursue in the future and that art was a way of seeing and participating in life.
You studied painting at university. How did this help shape your creative path?
I think it was important, especially as a foundation for critical thinking and to develop an understanding of my relationship with form, materiality, space and context. But ultimately, I believe pursuing art is up to you. One needs to have the curiosity, the passion and that inner drive to ask yourself why you really want to go down this path, as well as the internal spark that keeps you going, asking questions, and the courage to take risks, In order to grow, you need to go through stages of uncertainty and even discomfort. Honestly, I think it's a lifelong process. During University, I had two professors/ artists who really shaped this understanding for me. One was Tayfun Erdoğmuş and the other was Mustafa Pilevneli.