Author
Who is Ayşe Kapusuz? (1982-İstanbul)Ayşe Kapusuz, was born in Istanbul, 1982. She grew up and currently, live and work within the chaotic, distorted rhythm of Istanbul, a city that serves as a constant, high-decibel backdrop to her practice. She is a graduate of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, department of painting. And during her undergraduate studies, she is specialized in traditional gravure and engraving techniques by selecting the university’s Gravure Printmaking Studio. After her graduation, she started to work as a volunteer Art Teacher for children and adults with mentally disabilities at ZİBEÇ- Surp Pırgiç Armenian Hospital, in Istanbul. Alongside her studio paintings, starting with 2010 she maintained her identity as a street artist, using a thick marker directly on the damaged walls of the city, preserving her visceral connection with the city’s frantic, exhausting, yet still breathing texture. She regularly enriched her practice through international cultural travels, visiting leading museums and galleries in Europe and other countries to expand her artistic references in the mean time. In 2015, she transitioned from the urban density of Istanbul to the serene environment of Gümüşlük/Bodrum, where she lived in a village for six years. This period of relocation became a profound exploration of community and social engagement. During this time, she dedicated 4 years to the Peksimet Village Children’s library(later called Pekder), serving as a volunteer art instructor for underprivileged local children. Her commitment culminated when she conceived, organized, managed and hosted a comprehensive charity art auction. This initiative was specifically designed to provide essential art supplies, educational resources, and access to cultural events for children facing socio-economic disadvantages. In 2020, during her stay in the mountain village of Karakaya(Gümüşlük), coincided with the global pandemic, a period defined by the stark contrast between the enforced isolation of the world and the untouched, raw beauty of her immediate surroundings. During this time, she expanded her practice to capture the essence of the natural environment, integrating the textures of nature into her conceptual exploration of the ‘pure self’. Upon returning to Istanbul, her practice entered a new chapter of emotional and conceptual depth. In 2023, she welcomed her daughter, an event that further enriched her perspective on identity and human fragility. Currently residing and working in Kadıköy, she continues to expand her multidisciplinary practice. Her latest works integrate her classical painting background with a series of rapid, gestural acrylic portraits that embrace spontaneity and flow. This energetic approach is balanced by her ‘Quiet Faces’ series, introspective oil pastel works on paper created in the serene, meditative hours while her daughter sleeps. She is nowadays maintaining a prolific production schedule that reflects her evolving identity as both a mother and a contemporary artist.Education;2001–2010 – BFA, Painting Department, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul ● 2003–2005 – Engraving workshop, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University 1998–2001 – Fine Arts High School, Painting Department, Avni Akyol Anadolu Fine Arts High School, Istanbul 1991–1997 – Gökdil College, Istanbul