Lydia Gozde Yildirim

My work explores the fragile and shifting nature of memory through acrylics on canvas. I examine how human consciousness reconstructs the past, probing the blurred lines between reality and fiction. For me, painting is not merely an image, but the act of remembering itself.
​I approach the canvas surface as a mental topography. Just as memories erode, fade, or transform over time, I build up layers of paint, create textures, and sometimes scrape away surfaces to capture moments "on the brink of disappearance." My aim is to visualize memory not as a static repository of the past, but as a dynamic structure that actively shapes the present and the future.
​My artistic vision is rooted in my personal geography. Having lived in the Balkans and currently basing my practice in Turkey, I trace the remnants of diverse cultures and shifting histories. This multi-layered cultural background shapes the fragmented structure of my visual language. Currently continuing my Master's degree in Painting, I merge my studio practice with academic research on the philosophy of memory.