İsmet Üstekin Abstract Orange-Digital Work Türkiye Print

I was born on a cold and snowy winter evening, November 30, 1946, in Istanbul — a city that has shaped my life and art. Perhaps it is this early encounter with the quiet beauty of winter that has drawn me to paint snowy landscapes, like the one falling softly outside my window as I write these words. Living in one of the world’s most enchanting cities, I have been fortunate to dedicate my life to art in its many forms: theatre, photography, and painting. These disciplines are bound by a shared foundation — observation. Together, they form a creative triangle reflecting both humanity and nature, enriching the artist’s vision, skill, and imagination. From 1967 to 1971, I immersed myself in theatre, learning to embody the human spirit on stage. I have often thought of Leonardo da Vinci’s words: “Build me a figure whose posture reveals the soul within.” For me, this truth bridges acting and visual art alike — capturing not only the surface but the soul beneath. My love of photography began in childhood and blossomed when I built my own darkroom in 1978. Through thousands of portraits, I learned that the eyes truly are the windows to the soul. Like painting, photography can capture this fleeting spirit — shaped by the photographer’s own gaze. In 1981, I began to paint without formal training, briefly studying under Professor Sabri Berkel in 1982. My first solo exhibition came in 1984, and over the next sixteen years, I held fourteen solo shows across Istanbul, Ankara, and several Anatolian cities. My work, mostly oils and pastels, found homes in private collections, while I also explored ceramics and plaster sculpture — though the latter was a brief journey. In 2002, I turned toward digital art, a realm still dismissed by many. I asked myself: how can I transcend the fixed frame of a photograph? How can I dive inside the image and transform it? This quest birthed Fotores — a new form blending photography and painting, forged entirely from my own photos and drawings, digitally reimagined into vibrant, layered compositions. They pulse with energy — like droplets bursting from boiling water. Alongside Fotores, I create ex-libris prints, digitally and traditionally, adding another layer to my artistic voice. In 2007, I exhibited Fotores works in two galleries and through virtual shows online.