Who is Zehra Güzel Süsem? (1988-Şanlıurfa)
Education Information;
• 2007–2011: Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Education, Department of Art Teaching (Graduation: 2011)
• 2003–2007: Şanlıurfa Anatolian Fine Arts High School, Department of Painting
Art Vision and Philosophy;
My artistic production is shaped around themes of confrontation, social memory, cultural identity, and healing. Crow figures stand out as metaphors for confronting memory, engaging with darkness, expansion, and resilience. The distinctive surfaces created with various mixed media, primarily Lavi Acrylic, represent the emergence of forgotten or suppressed money. Her work is positioned as a practice of memory, connecting the traces of the past with the wounds of the present.
The serenity of nature and the reckoning of oneself are hidden behind her gaze. Strong emotional depths aim to touch the inner workings of the actor and convey traces of their inner experiences in their work.
My portraits invite the viewer to delve deeply into the human soul. In these works, portraits imbued with powerful expressions and profound gazes illuminate the viewer’s inner reckoning. In my portrait, I present an inner confrontation and, through reflection, a silent challenge to the viewer. Colors trace unspoken boundaries; every face, every shadow becomes a story. Time does not slow down in my paintings; gazes and words are accessible and touching. I invite the viewer to hear their own inner voice and to connect their own stories.
Artistic Practice;
My portraits invite the viewer to delve deeply into the human soul. Gray tones and surfaces rendered with the lavi technique create emotional topographies. The cyclicity of nature serves as a metaphor parallel to the inner workings of humans. Silence becomes the unseen language of this image. Her figure represents a different part of her personality and memory. As I bear silent witness to an individual and collective quest, I both observe and encourage the viewer to respond. My goal is to draw out the individual in you and make you feel the power you can wield.
Work Experience and Civil Society Activities;
• 2023–Present: Izmir Turgut Pura Foundation – Project Manager
• 2021–2022: Münevver Öğretmen Primary School – Visual Arts Teacher
• 2019–2020: Şanlıurfa E-Type Closed Penal Institution – Art Instructor (Arts education for convicts and detainees)
• 2016–2022: Social Initiative Formation Association (TİOD) – Vice President
• 2016–2017: Concern Worldwide & UNHCR Collaboration Project – Project Coordinator (Increasing employment opportunities for refugees)
• 2014–2015: U.S. Department of State Education and Culture Unit-funded Project – Human Rights Project Coordinator and Media/Visual Publications Design Consultant (Raising human rights awareness in local media regarding hate speech against asylum seekers)
• 2008–2010: SODEV – Media and Visual Publications Design Consultant (Project "Playing House, Not Marriage")
• 2006: EU Grant Program – "Health as a Flood" Project Design Consultant
• 2015–2019: Atölye’D – Personal Art Gallery (Established in 2016)
• 2011-2015 Ministry of National Education – Visual Arts – Technology Design Teaching
Projects
• 2019–2020: Convicts and Detainees SODES Project – Documentary Directing and Art Education (within Şanlıurfa Type E Closed Penal Institution)
• 2016: İmroz Documentary (BAK PROJECT) – Participant in a documentary and photography/documentary film project (a project exploring the multilayered history of Gökçeada, in collaboration with İzmir-İstanbul-Diyarbakır-France, Anadolu Kültür ve Diyarbakır Art Center)
• 2016–2017: Sisterhood of Motifs – Masters of the Future – Social Cohesion Project (Contributing to the social cohesion processes of Syrian and Turkish youth through art)
• 2019: Topdağı Women's Support Center – Art Education Project
Solo Exhibitions:
• 2025: Confrontation Corridor: On Traces of Reckoning – İzmir Women's Museum
• 2024: Confrontation Garden: On Silence and Transformation – İzmir
• 2019: Çatı Art Gallery – Eskişehir
• 2018: Barutçu Han International Women's Day Painting Exhibition – Şanlıurfa
• 2017: Atölye- D Open Workshop Days – Şanlıurfa
• 2016: Confrontation – Şanlıurfa
• 2015: Karga Art Workshop – Portraits – Şanlıurfa
Group and International Exhibitions;
• 2025: 9th Grand Efes Art Days – Izmir
• 2025: 2nd IAAF Izmir Art Fair – Izmir
• 2025: Group Painting Exhibition (Curator: Prof. Dr. Arif Ziya Tunç) – Güzelyalı Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center, Izmir
• 2024: GALLERY ART'S RHYTHM EXHIBITION – Istanbul
• 2019: Barutçu Han International Women's Day Group Painting Exhibition – Şanlıurfa
• 2017: Ankara Contemporary Arts Center – Group Painting Exhibition
• 2016: Eskişehir University Faculty of Communication – 15x15 Works Painting Exhibition
• 2014: Eskişehir Çatı Art Gallery – Group Painting Exhibition
• 2013: Eskişehir Çatı Art Gallery – Group Painting Exhibition
• 2011: 2nd International Antakya Biennial – ‘Thank You for Your Understanding’
• 2011: Antakya-Saray Street Open Space Photography Exhibition
• 2011: Hatay Provincial Police Department Command Branch Directorate – Combating Substance Addiction Painting Exhibition
• 2011: Mustafa Kemal University, Faculty of Education, Fine Arts Education, Department of Art Teaching Graduation Exhibition
• 2010: Istanbul Photography Meetings
• 2010: Mustafa Kemal University Spring Festival Photography Exhibition
• 2010: Faculty of Education, Fine Arts Education, Department of Art Teaching Group Painting Exhibition
• 2010: Substance Addiction and Bad Habits Group Painting Exhibition
• 2009: Antakya Cultural Center – Group Painting Exhibition
• 2009: Nevruz Holiday Group Painting Exhibition
• 2008: Teachers' Day Group Painting Exhibition
• 2007: ‘Those Caught in the Design Process’ – Basic Design and Graphics Exhibition
• 2005: Şanlıurfa Anatolian Fine Arts High School – Group Painting Exhibition
Student Exhibitions (held under advisorship);
• 2016: Urfa City Shopping Mall Exhibition Hall – “Crime and Punishment – The Little Prince” Concept Group Painting Exhibition (Acrylic works on canvas)
• 2015: Şanlıurfa Municipality Exhibition Hall – Reproduction Works by Middle School Students (Acrylic and mixed media works on canvas)
Publications and Contributions:
• Kurdish Documentary Cinema in Turkey (Cambridge Scholars Publishing) – Book Cover Photo
• Bianet.org – ‘IMBPOƩ: Stories Waiting to Be Told’ – Visual Contribution and Narrative Design
Educational and Social Contribution:
As an art instructor, she opened creative spaces for children, adults, and incarcerated individuals in municipalities, public institutions, and private workshops. She actively participated in women's support projects. She played important roles as a coordinator and trainer in human rights and social cohesion projects, particularly for asylum seekers and refugees.
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