In this editorial series Artsted is offering a dive into the stories of artists, taking them on a weekly discovery sprint: learn about the practice, process, philosophy and conceptual research behind the platform’s best contemporary creators.
Hello Duygu! Would you mind making a small introduction about yourself and your artistic practice?
Sure! My name is Duygu and I’m 32 years old. I am from Turkey and I live in Istanbul. I use a variety of mediums for the realization of my artists concepts. It is a process and most of my artworks have been made using multiple tools and materials. I may say that I am painter, photographer, illustrator but also, a multidisciplinary artist in general. I don’t focus on specific mediums but mostly I focus on subjects.
At which moment did you realize you were an artist and wanted to pursue this path?
Actually it might be stereotype but I was interested in drawing and painting ever since I was child. I was in high school when I decided toget a Fine Arts Degree. I got in and won scholarships, that is how my journey with the art world begun. Drawing and painting as the technical and academic process, are of course, not limiting to my artistic practice. A lot of what I do stems from the concepts based on philosophy, psychology and other spheres of knowledge which I feel relate to my vision of the world. I thought that this is the difference between being an artist and a craftsman.
What is your creative process? How do you get inspired?
First of all, I get inspired by ideas that I come across in the daily life. Also, I get inspired from my experiences that are part of the process and inquiry, related to me trying to understand and find a meaning in the world. Mostly, I work from home which has a tiny art studio. I also realized, that a thing that sets me apart, is that I prefer to take time with the creation of a single artwork, which in some cases may take up to 5 or 6 months of just conceptualizing and not yet performing any technical work. I think, at the beginning of my creation, I did it to understand myself and to understand things that are related to me. It seems so personal but I find I do it also in an attempt to understand others. Sometimes I feel like the creative process is a game and enjoy the its interactive element.
What is your relationship with the art world? Has it been challenging to find your way in this industry?
It is not easy being part of the art world. It feels like having success in this industry is not about your creativity, talent or hard work. It is also, and for the most part, about being socially connected and having great marketing. In some of part of art world especially based on marketing aspects, some which are the most popular style to sell and commercially successful trends that diminish the real conceptual value of art. If I value according to that criterion I guess it is really hard to be in art world and try to build a name for oneself without compromising one’s actual identity.
Are you currently working on any future projects?
Lately, I am getting curious about other mediums, such as photography and video and also graphic arts. I think I will give those a try and see how it turns out.
Artist Spotlight Series by Artsted: a global online sales art marketplace working on encouraging fairer trading relationships between artists and collectors.
