Interview: Sevim Yildiz
Luca Curci talks with Sevim Yildiz during VENICE INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR – 17TH EDITION at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello.

Born in Düzce, Turkey, Sevim graduated from Istanbul Marmara University with a primary school teaching degree. “I taught for 28 years. My talent and passion for art have been present since my childhood. Transferring my inner voice, what I couldn’t say, what I heard, and what I saw to canvas with oil paint has been a liberating experience. Turkey is a large country, each region imbued with different identities, personalities, and formations. During my time as a teacher, I found art to be a way to express myself through the places I visited, the emotions, feelings, fears, and joys I experienced. People have both an unseen and a visible face. In my works, I aim to reflect my own soul and create a whole by connecting with the viewers through the human figures in my works. I want my works to simultaneously embody dynamism and peace. My paintings embody both serenity and a gushing outpouring of emotion. My works should evoke a scent, a country, a taste, excitement, and happiness. They should evoke the same intense feelings when viewed years later, resonating with people’s souls and feeling familiar”.

Luca Curci – What experience has most influenced your works?
Sevim Yildiz – In my works, I reflect human experiences, relationships, and the fact that humans are not robots but strive to exist through emotions, thoughts, and fears. As a child, singing, dancing, painting, and writing books were among my greatest hobbies. Leonardo da Vinci’s multifaceted artistry deeply influenced me. I, too, continue to practice my art in a multifaceted way. I believe I have keen observational skills and a creative imagination. As an artist, I am a naive and conscientious person who explores my inner world and conveys it in novels and on canvas. Through my art, I aim to hold a mirror up to the history, social lives, beliefs, and emotions of my time. I try to examine life by reinterpreting human figures with imaginary and fantasy elements. I am a visual artist living in Turkey (…).

LC – What kind of activities have you done related to your art?
SY – I’ve participated in various group art exhibitions in Istanbul, where I spent 25 years of my life. I’ve also participated in exhibitions at numerous art galleries. In recent years, I’ve participated in the international art fairs organized by the IAAF in Istanbul, Izmir, and Bodrum. In the last two years, I’ve held two solo exhibitions in Datça, each lasting one week. In my work, I prefer to paint oil paintings of human figures, nature scenes, winter landscapes, and historical sites. I particularly enjoy painting oil paintings of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. These paintings are purchased by collectors.

LC – What does painting mean to you?
SY – I deeply feel every moment when I paint. Every brushstroke expresses people’s strength, emotions, and feelings. Like white snowflakes, each new work carries a beginning, a formation, and hope. My art invites people on an emotional journey. Each piece is an invitation for viewers to explore their own feelings.

LC – What are your thoughts when you paint?
SY – I spend my nights dreaming of the next painting and start painting early in the morning. I examine each painting I create, holding it up before me. I sometimes work on a painting over and over again, and thus, my paintings take three or four years to complete. When I say “finished”, it’s finished. It’s very important for me to appreciate my own work; I believe that if I like it, everyone will.

LC – What kind of art is it?
SY – Art is a constantly evolving process. I’ve built my artistic approach on building a bridge from the individual to the universal. I believe all my works radiate energy. However, the energy of people is far more intense and impactful. Expressing this energy through color in my works is a profound experience for both me and the viewer. Reflecting feelings, thoughts, and emotions through color is the most powerful way to understand and express people. This allows me to focus on both the figures I create and their emotional depths. My journey with art began in childhood. Colors were a tool of expression for me. I love to bring the dance of the waves in nature and landscapes, the eternal peace of the sea, the melancholic colors of autumn, the enthusiasm and new beginnings of spring to my canvas.

LC – What are your thoughts on ITSLIQUID GROUP?
SY – ITSLIQUID GROUP, with its artistic vision, transcends superficial aesthetics and engages with human experiences. By engaging with transformation, identity, and inner reality not only within its geography but also with all nations of the world, it realizes a universal language, a formation, a vision of art. ITSLIQUID GROUP doesn’t just host exhibitions. It establishes a visible and invisible connection with artists and audiences. It hosts today’s audiences, their lived experiences, identities, and the past and future identities of the century that art hosted, a place where memories are explored and rebirth is made possible (…). What distinguishes ITSLIQUID GROUP is not only its international presence, but also its sensitivity to self-expression, incorporating feelings into their inner journeys, narratives, unconventional languages, and emotions, regardless of their nationality. It is a formation that does not impose a single aesthetic or trend, but embraces diversity, allowing for personal expression. It serves as a bridge bridging geographical and cultural distances, creating a global dialogue based on originality.