WHO?
I am a photographer telling visual stories. Photography is a tool I use to explore space and persona, to look deeper at issues that concern me. Beyond photography, it’s actually more about how the whole process transforms me into another version of myself. It definitely makes me braver, more curious; leads me to find what is more different; makes me feel like I can do anything.
Over the years, I have embraced more and more a project-oriented approach to photography rather than a stand-alone photographic practice. One of the strengths of working on a project is focusing on a specific topic, place and subject. This improved me in different ways. I always look for other possibilities of telling stories, rather than a language of narration stuck to the mold. I want photography to have a transformational momentum on my life.
My visual language combines a variety of styles and techniques, from colored to black and white, from landscapes to street, from fiction to documentary. I am eager to experiment with new ideas. Over the years, I have worked on a wide range of topics from women to immigration and urbanization.
WHEN?
I met Naomi in 2017, an attractive and lively young black woman from Sierra Leone in an Afro-club in İstanbul. We had a long intriguing chat the day we met, about her life, her past, her dreams. She invited me to her home, and we shot the very first frames.
I had never really been around black communities, so for me, this was a unique experience, allowing me to dive in and explore this small African community living in İstanbul for over 5 years. I had not planned to photograph them but at some point it has become my way of looking at things.
WHERE?
As I got deeper in her life in Istanbul, I realized that I had no choice but to connect her two lives, to portray her community and family life both in her homeland and in Turkey. Until then, what I knew about Africa was due to news and magazines only. I had no first-hand experience. Later, my visit to Naomi’s hometown in Sierra Leone was a big step-in for me into an African culture.
WHAT?
Right at our first meeting, I realized that there was something rare in Naomi, a kind of elusive and enigmatic spirit. I felt an urge to see her again. As I got closer to Naomi, our relationship became more intense and layered. This forced us to slow down and give the time needed to build a personal connection, to get to know each other. In time, we became contributors to a joint narrative about Naomi as a unique person, with a glimpse of the African subculture in Istanbul.
WHY?
Quoting a beautiful person I met in this journey: “Think about everything that’s in a rotational loop. Earth rotates around itself and the sun. Day and night rotate one after the other. Good and bad things that happen to us, are also what come out from us. Beauty is contagious as much as ugliness. Don’t you ever wonder why people who go on singing despite the tragedies and gloomy moments of life, seem privileged? Maybe that’s why… We need more wizards: Poets, lovers, incorrigible romantics. Believe in magic and let it be your reality.”
