I make autobiographical paintings that merge dreamscapes with lived experiences — layering meaning and narrative both within and beyond the frame.
My process explores realms outside of trauma which I often perceive as blackness stretched out to infinity in all directions. Darkness is my zero point in a vast coordinate system, from which I investigate new compositions through whimsical and morbid imagery. Finding the lexicon of my consciousness to navigate the tension between being immersed and setting out from that place of darkness is what keeps my creative urges in motion.
This push-and-pull often draws from my Chinese-Turkish heritage, which is the root of my interest in depicting hybridity, in-betweenness, and juxtaposition while projecting my inner world onto the vessels of objects and animals. Using this imagery, I depict stories that are grounded in reality but evolve into other realms. Often questioning the validity of perceived reality and its layers within our consciousness, I feel driven to investigate how I can distort or explore something beyond it in my practice.