Foreign, local artists’ display at Beylerbeyi
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Damaris Kremida
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Mayıs 30, 2009 00:00
ISTANBUL - Twenty local and international artists, brought together by Filipino curator and artist Rowena Martinez Ulayan, are showing their work at Beylerbeyi Palace on Istanbul’s Asian shoreline. Hailing from Cuba, Mauritius, Russia, South Africa and the United States, as well as Turkey, all the artists brought together by Ulayan have made Istanbul their home. The exhibition, ’Creative Euphoria,’ is on view until June 4
The "Creative Euphoria" created by 20 local and international artists is on display this month in a unique exhibition at the famous Beylerbeyi Palace on Istanbul’s Asian shoreline. Filipino artist Rowena Martinez Ulayan, who curated the diverse exhibit, said it was a great chance to showcase the talents of both rising and established artists who are based in Turkey at a special venue. "Every time I have the chance to show something beautiful, and to inspire other people, I do it," she told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. "Money you can always make somewhere else, but if you lose an opportunity [like this], you can never have it again."
A filmmaker and minimalist painter who has displayed her work throughout Istanbul and curated numerous art shows in the city, Ulayan said the opportunity to exhibit at Beylerbeyi Palace was a great honor. "I knew some people, some of whom are members of the Art Lovers of Istanbul, and thought we could do a group exhibition," she said when asked how all the diverse artists came together. "I had seen some of their work and they are really fantastic artists."
It took nearly seven months to get approval for the group to exhibit its work at the Istanbul palace; Ulayan hopes that she can next organize a show at Topkapı Palace as well. The international artists participating in the show originally came from Azerbaijan, Cuba, Germany, Mauritius, Russia, South Africa and the United States.
For American Justin Eccles, one of the artists whose work is on display, the exhibition was an opportunity not only to show his work, but also to meet other people who are trying to make a living as artists in Turkey.
"It is fun to network and meet new artists and have intelligent conversations about art," he said, adding that he hopes these talks lead to future collaborations.
From filmmaker to painter
Ulayan met her Turkish husband in 1990 at Yokohama National University in Japan, where they were both studying as Mombosho scholars. He was getting his Ph.D. in naval engineering while she was finishing her postgraduate studies in multimedia for children after having studied film in Russia.
"We were living in the same dormitory," she explained. "I was living upstairs and his room was downstairs. He was the first Turk I met." She added with a laugh, "I must have met a lot of Turks before, but hadn’t noticed they were Turks."
After five years together in Japan, the couple moved to Turkey, where they now make their home in Tuzla. Ulayan’s husband works in the shipping industry, and she runs an art gallery.
Budgetary constraints, combined with the demands of being the mother of two elementary-school-aged children, made it difficult for Ulayan to exercise her passion for film in Turkey, so she turned to her first love: painting.
"Painting is the closest thing I could do to continue following my artistic inclinations," Ulayan said. "I used to paint before becoming a filmmaker, and now that I am not filming, I can concentrate more on my painting, which I had been doing on and off for the past 25 years or so."
The artist recalls her first encounters with art in her home country, when she was just 4 years old, but she said her relationship with art goes back even further Ğ as does everyone else’s.
"Art is something that is innate for me, and, I guess, for everybody. We are all surrounded by artistry, the only thing for all of us to do is appreciate it," she said. "We just have to look at the birds and the bees, the flowers and even the stones, to know we are in a world of art. Therefore my Ğ or anybody’s Ğ relationship to art starts even from the womb, when you begin hearing your mother’s or father’s voice."
Both of Ulayan’s parents were teachers working with the Isneg tribe in the Philippines, where they lived amid pristine nature. But although the inspiration for art was there, the materials were not always available. Even crayons were a rarity; Ulayan says she was the only child her age who had a set. "I used to distribute one color to each of my parents’ pupils and let them draw what they saw," she said. "I was only 4 years old at that time, but I remember vividly how I used to urge everyone around me to draw with me. Of course, the children were all excited about the crayons, and they would draw with me all the time."
An artist’s life in Turkey
During the 11 years Ulayan has lived in Turkey, she said she has never really felt like a foreigner, thanks to her family and her knack for blending in with the locals regardless of where she lives. "I had lived in other countries before I came here and therefore, I guess, I did not have any problem adjusting," she said. "No matter how diverse the culture in which I find myself, I always find the unifying thread that makes us all the same. Knowing the universal truths about human life has made me feel one with any society I have been in."
Not just in Turkey, but also around the world, Ulayan said, people want and need to be loved and appreciated, and react positively to a positive attitude. "Real friendships don’t come with great introductions, but from the simple mundane things you share with someone," she said. "I like listening and speaking with strangers, especially people I meet in the streets, like vendors, cab drivers or simitcis. They give me the true color of the country I am in, and this makes me feel like I belong."
Ulayan said her art has also provided a basis for making friends and learning from Turks, when, for example, the wife of her kapıcı, or building doorman, questions her color choice or asks why she does not paint realistic images.
"I try to explain to them what minimalist art is all about," she said. "I like to paint because there is something I want to express, and I feel happy when someone is inspired by that. This means my attempt is not futile, and someone, somehow shares what I feel or am concerned about."
The "Creative Euphoria" exhibition at Beylerbeyi Palace has brought together Turkish and foreign artists who work with paint and glass, combining different media, contrasting styles and various themes in a compatible way, said Ulayan, who added, "There’s harmony in diversity." The show will be on display until June 4.
PartIcIpatIng
ArtIsts
Denka Aydin - Cuba
Yasemin Aslan Bakiri - Turkey
Figen Bati - Turkey
Ozen Bozdağ - Turkey
Justin Eccles - USA
Kerstin Foerster - Germany
Thomas Foerster - Germany
Dinara Gaille - Azerbaijan
Elsa Islamova - Russia
Behiye Kepir - Turkey
Jiri Kobos Ğ German/Czech
Serhat Kocak - Turkey
Murat Kuçukkayalı - Turkey
Ekrem Ozen - Turkey
Diana Page - South Africa
Susan Scanlon - USA
Hatice Sonay - Turkey
Ayşe Sadoğlu - Turkey
Billur Tansel - Turkey
Erwin Utchanah - Mauritius
A filmmaker and minimalist painter who has displayed her work throughout Istanbul and curated numerous art shows in the city, Ulayan said the opportunity to exhibit at Beylerbeyi Palace was a great honor. "I knew some people, some of whom are members of the Art Lovers of Istanbul, and thought we could do a group exhibition," she said when asked how all the diverse artists came together. "I had seen some of their work and they are really fantastic artists."
It took nearly seven months to get approval for the group to exhibit its work at the Istanbul palace; Ulayan hopes that she can next organize a show at Topkapı Palace as well. The international artists participating in the show originally came from Azerbaijan, Cuba, Germany, Mauritius, Russia, South Africa and the United States.
For American Justin Eccles, one of the artists whose work is on display, the exhibition was an opportunity not only to show his work, but also to meet other people who are trying to make a living as artists in Turkey.
"It is fun to network and meet new artists and have intelligent conversations about art," he said, adding that he hopes these talks lead to future collaborations.
From filmmaker to painter
Ulayan met her Turkish husband in 1990 at Yokohama National University in Japan, where they were both studying as Mombosho scholars. He was getting his Ph.D. in naval engineering while she was finishing her postgraduate studies in multimedia for children after having studied film in Russia.
"We were living in the same dormitory," she explained. "I was living upstairs and his room was downstairs. He was the first Turk I met." She added with a laugh, "I must have met a lot of Turks before, but hadn’t noticed they were Turks."
After five years together in Japan, the couple moved to Turkey, where they now make their home in Tuzla. Ulayan’s husband works in the shipping industry, and she runs an art gallery.
Budgetary constraints, combined with the demands of being the mother of two elementary-school-aged children, made it difficult for Ulayan to exercise her passion for film in Turkey, so she turned to her first love: painting.
"Painting is the closest thing I could do to continue following my artistic inclinations," Ulayan said. "I used to paint before becoming a filmmaker, and now that I am not filming, I can concentrate more on my painting, which I had been doing on and off for the past 25 years or so."
The artist recalls her first encounters with art in her home country, when she was just 4 years old, but she said her relationship with art goes back even further Ğ as does everyone else’s.
"Art is something that is innate for me, and, I guess, for everybody. We are all surrounded by artistry, the only thing for all of us to do is appreciate it," she said. "We just have to look at the birds and the bees, the flowers and even the stones, to know we are in a world of art. Therefore my Ğ or anybody’s Ğ relationship to art starts even from the womb, when you begin hearing your mother’s or father’s voice."
Both of Ulayan’s parents were teachers working with the Isneg tribe in the Philippines, where they lived amid pristine nature. But although the inspiration for art was there, the materials were not always available. Even crayons were a rarity; Ulayan says she was the only child her age who had a set. "I used to distribute one color to each of my parents’ pupils and let them draw what they saw," she said. "I was only 4 years old at that time, but I remember vividly how I used to urge everyone around me to draw with me. Of course, the children were all excited about the crayons, and they would draw with me all the time."
An artist’s life in Turkey
During the 11 years Ulayan has lived in Turkey, she said she has never really felt like a foreigner, thanks to her family and her knack for blending in with the locals regardless of where she lives. "I had lived in other countries before I came here and therefore, I guess, I did not have any problem adjusting," she said. "No matter how diverse the culture in which I find myself, I always find the unifying thread that makes us all the same. Knowing the universal truths about human life has made me feel one with any society I have been in."
Not just in Turkey, but also around the world, Ulayan said, people want and need to be loved and appreciated, and react positively to a positive attitude. "Real friendships don’t come with great introductions, but from the simple mundane things you share with someone," she said. "I like listening and speaking with strangers, especially people I meet in the streets, like vendors, cab drivers or simitcis. They give me the true color of the country I am in, and this makes me feel like I belong."
Ulayan said her art has also provided a basis for making friends and learning from Turks, when, for example, the wife of her kapıcı, or building doorman, questions her color choice or asks why she does not paint realistic images.
"I try to explain to them what minimalist art is all about," she said. "I like to paint because there is something I want to express, and I feel happy when someone is inspired by that. This means my attempt is not futile, and someone, somehow shares what I feel or am concerned about."
The "Creative Euphoria" exhibition at Beylerbeyi Palace has brought together Turkish and foreign artists who work with paint and glass, combining different media, contrasting styles and various themes in a compatible way, said Ulayan, who added, "There’s harmony in diversity." The show will be on display until June 4.
PartIcIpatIng
ArtIsts
Denka Aydin - Cuba
Yasemin Aslan Bakiri - Turkey
Figen Bati - Turkey
Ozen Bozdağ - Turkey
Justin Eccles - USA
Kerstin Foerster - Germany
Thomas Foerster - Germany
Dinara Gaille - Azerbaijan
Elsa Islamova - Russia
Behiye Kepir - Turkey
Jiri Kobos Ğ German/Czech
Serhat Kocak - Turkey
Murat Kuçukkayalı - Turkey
Ekrem Ozen - Turkey
Diana Page - South Africa
Susan Scanlon - USA
Hatice Sonay - Turkey
Ayşe Sadoğlu - Turkey
Billur Tansel - Turkey
Erwin Utchanah - Mauritius