When I see a painting from the Orientalist movement, filled with clear romance, I feel a strong attraction. The beauty and adventure are hard to resist. It shows a world I don’t fully know, rich with new flavors, possibilities and views. An exotic and mysterious realm calls to me, inviting me to get lost in its charm. I enjoy it. Yet, I also sense a discomfort—a tension that lingers, as if something essential is wrong with that representation.
These works, as beautiful as they are, carry a problem. They create an image born from fantasy and projections, not from the reality of the people depicted. Those individuals would never recognize themselves in the stereotypes and idealized images that distort their identities. It leaves a bitter aftertaste to the sweetness.
However, I can’t deny that this contrast fascinates me. It’s a bittersweet illusion that becomes more powerful because of that discomfort, as if a nightmare feels more real than a cheerful dream.
In my own work, I aim to engage differently with this attraction. The idea of openness I see in the history of the Middle East and the Silk Road, especially during the Middle Ages, inspires me deeply. It was a time when cultures came together and knowledge flowed freely. Think of the science, philosophy and art that emerged when ideas could travel freely. I take that freedom and exchange, but I don’t turn it into a Western fantasy. Instead, I make it my own by working from my fascination with diversity and imagination. I’m not trying to imitate; I’m exploring possibilities.
My work isn’t a solution to the complex history of cultural representation. It doesn’t offer simple answers; instead, it looks at the potential for a future that works for me. The world we live in often doesn’t meet that desire. Art can be a space to express that longing—a possibility, not a fixed image.
While Orientalism focused on romance, I seek what moves me, what surprises or amazes me. I carry stories and traditions with me, taking them to the edge of imagination, allowing them to mix with dreams to create art. The tension between attraction and injustice in Orientalism is still present; I see it, I feel it, and I won’t ignore it. I choose my own path—one that begins with curiosity and openness, leading to a new conversation.