Artist Interviews
WORK SILISTRE
Can you introduce yourself a little bit?
I am an Industrial Engineering graduate. I worked as a consultant in an international company for 7 years in the private sector. Afterwards, I started doing research on painting and forms of expression and improving myself in painting techniques. In this process, I founded the Fovart Art Gallery. I continue my production under the roof of this brand with my painter friends.
Are you open to criticism?
Not really. I read emotions a little too much. To put it plainly, there are people who criticize just to talk, I can't stand them much. That's why I'm not open to everyone's criticism. But I have teachers and friends that I like to listen to. When they show my shortcomings, evaluate the positive points, and discuss the subject, my horizons expand.
How do you decide on the content of your work?
This is an important point. Sometimes I plan. You don't always think. Especially in the learning process, you start to draw whatever comes to your hand. You are either influenced by the work of an artist or by the work of a friend. But sometimes one starts to waste time by planning. Ideas don't come all at once. Sometimes you start by putting the paint headlong on the canvas. Bad things can happen, and surprises can happen. Maybe my work that I started without planning is getting better. No stress because…
What do you think the picture tells?
The painting tells the painter himself, carries traces of the painter's thoughts.
How would you define the art of painting?
Art and crafts mix a lot. First, this distinction should be made and it should be understood that both are valuable. I am also trying to understand the art of painting. Sometimes I think that hollow artifacts are too inflated. But helping questioning is art itself. I can say that producing the same thing all the time is not producing content that is very similar to each other. If you are drawing similar things in order to be able to continue telling the subject you want to tell, then that is the art of painting. Painting is a different language. There is mystery in it, there is emotion, there is memory, there is criticism... I do too, I do not draw.
What do you think about painting by order?
Painters in art history books have always painted to order. So it could be. However, it is certain that it is a difficult process for the painter. He thinks that he ordered the dress by saying the dress model. That's not the case.
During your painting education, is there an event that you cannot forget and that left an impression on you?
When I am curious about something, I am hungry for information. In art education, information can come to you little by little. There is practical training such as the master-apprentice relationship. That's how I experienced it. I manage to piss off my teachers by asking too many questions. But they love me.
What do you think about those who say that I can do this painting too?
Those who say this should never stop. A seemingly simple picture. But beauty is not in its simplicity or complexity or inimitability. I shouldn't say that. I wish you had said that instead of saying it.
When did you start painting?
I started at a very young age with pictures that I imitated by looking at them. I remember drawing every page of the Smurfs magazine in elementary school. I have always loved watching cartoons. There were always pencil drawings in my textbooks. Even in the math notebook when you're in high school, when you go to the next page, you look at Tarzan and the Monkeys there 😊
What kind of paintings do you do?
I am in the process of searching. I also work in figures, sometimes in portraits. I would like to paint some feelings and subjects that we have forgotten while living. One of the subjects I work on is strong and pioneering women. I tend to express this subject with figures right now, but there is no restriction in my mind.
The one you love, you take as an example Who are the painters?
I love Klimt, and so do Egon Schiele. I really like their styles. I have a different admiration for Artemisia Gentileschi. It's my dream to be that hardworking. I try to paint like them. But what I do is not like the work of the artists I love. In order to find my own way, I aim to learn their perspectives on production. I really like Nick Runge, Deniz Sharazin, Sean Layh, Saim Erken, Mustafa Özel's use of color and the subjects they describe. There are many artists that I follow. These are not similar styles. But they are very instructive.
What is your favorite picture, why?
In fact, it's always the last painting I made. The more I apply what I have learned and the more I find answers to my questions, the more I like that painting. I'm always more attached to my last painting. I have a self-confident figure that says “I, myself and myself”. Self-sufficient. His place is different..
Does painting require skill?
I think talent means starting with a natural process. You start to see and apply some tricks without someone teaching you. But with enough time, anything can be learned. First you need to get the right information, then it's easy. Picture is like that. It's about wanting. Your expressive power is more important. It also requires a different ability to think, a different perspective.
Why buy an original painting?
To support the art of painting, the original painting should be bought to support the painters. If the painting doesn't interest you, don't buy it, of course. But with the thought that it is expensive, printed products and copies are taken. Let the paintings you buy be small but real. Painters should be valued while they're alive. Seeing it as an investment tool is a bit offensive in my opinion. You have to live in the moment. It is necessary to look at the content of the pictures, not the signature, and experience the emotion. That's why it should be taken. The artist has his own mark on it.
From which channels do you promote your images?
I promote it through online exhibitions and digital channels. I also have a small workshop. While I am working, I also have guests who come and examine it.
What is your mood when producing your pictures?
Music helps a lot. If I'm doing something by listening, I work in a concentrated way. I don't know how I felt then. Because I am not listening to myself. It's like I'm talking to painting with paints. Sometimes I catch myself angry, sometimes very fidgety. A very changeable mood.
What materials do you use to paint?
I usually work in oil or acrylic on canvas. I experiment with different materials. My search is not only with the content of the picture, but also with the materials. The experience of each ingredient gives a different taste. My first oil painting experience was very funny, I could not master the material. Now we're on good terms.
Which painters did you work with in your education?
Erdal Kara and Fuat Acaroğlu's classroom lessons in SEM education at MSGSU; I attended Kemal İskender's online classes. Then I met Mustafa Özel in 2019 and we still work together on color and composition. Apart from that, I follow many painters who do online workshops. I learn important things from an artist while producing in his own style.
What is your favorite color to use? Why?
I love mustard yellow these days. And dark red tones. It may change in the future. I am a changing, evolving person.
What do you think about the prices of original and original paintings?
They look relatively expensive. If I like the subject, that painting is not expensive. I may not be able to afford it. That issue is separate. But they are not as expensive as you might think. If you want to buy, there are original paintings suitable for every budget. I'm sure the furniture you buy for your home is more expensive.
Who should take your pictures?
I would be very happy if those who can look at those pictures like I do. But there are times when I can't measure it. May those who give value, those who can look at it with love for years, get it. Paintings are not furniture, they are part of the house.
What advice do you have for those who want to improve themselves in painting?
Painting should not be perceived as a simple task. Yes, anyone can paint. Anyone can do well. But we do not evaluate the picture according to the number of people who like it. I think painting is a method of expression. Therefore, it is not enough to take colors and paint. It is a subject that requires continued research and education. I suggest that they research the meaning and power of colors. This is how I expand my horizons. Also, instead of working with a single teacher, it is necessary to examine the working style of more than one artist. Every painter has a different language. Something like personal development is painting. Your style can change as you learn. When you do not do this, the painting becomes mass production. Robots can already do that.
We are very pleased to know you.
Thank you very much for your time.