When I was a child, I loved drawing.
Art has always been part of my life, and I can’t remember when it started.
I began showing my drawings when I was 5 years old.
“Uncertain Journey” at Grand Palais
Accumulation Searching for the Destination at Grand Palais
How have your own personal experiences informed your work?
I always start my work from personal experience.
I want everyone to connect to it.
“Between Worlds” at Istanbul Modern (Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz)
What drew you to site-specific installations as a vehicle for your creativity?
I couldnt create anything newit was all about technique, not feeling.
When I finally began using thread, I felt like I had found my own material.
“Accumulation Searching for the Destination” at Grand Palais
I could express my emotions.
It’s like painting in the air with thread.
I never think of my work as a cobweb installation; to me, its more like a painting.
“Accumulation Searching for the Destination” at Grand Palais
My work is about connection.
I believe we are all connected, and it’s impossible to be part of society without those connections.
Its also about memory.
“The Network” at the Hammer Museum (Photo: Jeff Mclane)
We recently visited Istanbul Modern and experienced your powerful installation in person.
What do you hope people experience or come away with when visiting pieces such as this?
My installations dont offer a single answer.
“Between Worlds” at Istanbul Modern (Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz)
People are free to interpret them however they wish.
If they want to learn more my concept, they can research and read before or after.
But I think every person brings their own perspective100 people will have 100 different opinions.
“Between Worlds” at Istanbul Modern (Photo: Kayhan Kaygusuz)
What is the most challenging, and most rewarding, of working in an institutional space like Istanbul Modern?
They were very supportive, and everything went great.
What consideration went into selecting the pieces to display?
Chiharu Shiota at the Grand Palais (Photo: Didier Plowy)
The curator, Mami Kataoka, curated the show and decided what to include and in what order.
The very next day, I was informed that my cancer had returned.
This became the inspiration for the title.
“In Silence” at Grand Palais
During the preparation for the show, I underwent surgery and chemotherapy.
It felt as though I was living for this exhibition.
During that time, I also created new works reflecting my experience in the hospital.
“In Silence” at Grand Palais
In Silence at Grand Palais
What do you hope that people take away from your work?
When I create something, I do not think about what the viewer will take away from it.
I create to express myself and want to extend this feeling.
