If I can best express my inner world, it is a combination of art, sports, and a strong desire to be surrounded by nature. Art, however, was my first love. I truly discovered it in elementary school at the age of eight when I was attending arts class at a French school in Ankara where my father worked in the Embassy. At that time I was trying to navigate between my creative imagination and the difficulties I experienced expressing it technically.

 

Being surrounded by students from all over the world, I was able to witness their unique and creative minds, which in turn broadened my own visual perspective on creativity and art. I received much encouragement in the five years I spent there. I took part in our school exhibitions and tried to perfect my techniques. This time played a significant part in shaping my personality and helped me become who I am today. I have treasured that time ever since.

 

It may sound complicated and like an inner battle having three passions in life, but for me they are in perfect harmony. Diving into my imagination and trying to find the best expression for my art is a wonderful feeling. At the same time I am equally fulfilled through sports, which feel natural and effortless to me. And by being in nature, I can achieve both simultaneously. It is like blending colors--red and blue make violet and by adding green you get slate, a fusion of three very vibrant colors coming together in a harmonious combination.

 

In elementary and middle school I was certain that I wanted to study art or sports, but our lives often take a different direction than what we planned. I ended up with a master’s degree in Philology.

 

Then I went into the Army, putting myself through extreme physical exhaustion. While my body tried to cope with the stress, the dopamine and endorphins it released brought my mind back to that happy feeling that art and nature always gave me.

 

Yet later I started working in corporate, trade, and marketing.

 

At this time I met my wife and our beautiful son was born.

 

Despite my corporate career, Art always had a very strong presence in my mind. When everything else failed, Art was always there for me, keeping me connected to the child I once was. I never truly stopped painting and I always felt like I had another purpose, one that is far away from the corporate world that I became part of.

 

We all have different paths in our lives. My path turned out to be of a late bloomer. I always knew that Art is my true purpose and I am now realizing that I haven’t fulfilled my purpose yet. Although it’s somewhat ironic that I found my calling at a very young age but haven’t expressed myself until now, with age comes wisdom. Having experienced so many difficulties and fulfillments in life has allowed me to express my inner world on a deeper level. Life experiences are so different for every one of us, there is much uniqueness in our perception and expression of reality. With my art, I have something beautiful to give to the world and I don't want it to stay undiscovered any longer.

 

I never studied art, besides my early studies in Ankara, but I experimented a lot. I started with aquarelle, went through gouache and oil, and ended up with acrylic, often combining it with structural gel and materials (usually from nature) such as ground pebbles, shells, and ash.

 

Stylistically, I draw from Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Impressionism, and Fauvism, which allow me to best express my message and inner world.

 

There is a famous saying by Maurice Young that states: "To become a master at any skill, it takes the total effort of your: heart, mind, and soul working together in tandem." Heart represents my physical capabilities, Mind is my artistic knowledge, and Soul is my inner perspective of the world, all three coming together in perfect harmony.