Gülfidan Özmen

My gold serial glass works that I first did in 2012 for Armaggan Art and Design Gallery carry the quality of an allusion of flat glass which is the invisible object of our daily life with its usage in many areas like facades and furniture.The prominent feature of the work is that it preserves both its value as an artwork and functionality.Theme of sexuality comes forward in the subtext of my works. Each of these works are abstractions that I have formed starting from night-day, nude in landscape, H.Miller and chaos and solutions that sexuality brings to our lives.

In the second version of the Visual Memory series that I created in 2011 and 2012, I worked on paper mostly, but it’s not easy to refer to these works as paperwork. I also did screen printing on glass which I used to frame these artworks. So I catch a deeper effect by working on paper and glass simultaneously. As I meddle with my memory, all the past and future that come out, appear in these frames and come together.  Our memory feeds the future and connects us to life strongly in our most desperate moments.

My show ‘Visual Memory’ which took place at the end of 2011 give references to experiences and things I have seen, filed up in my mind and soul in time and surfacing as they were dredged up. All these moments are present as long as we exist; we perceive these permeable moments in such a massive way and consider them as if they’re never going to disappear. In fact all of them will vanish with us and lose all the meaning. “We construct our lives on a permeable and transparent space like glass, as if it is never going to disappear.” In “Visual Memory” serie technically I cut most of the glass forms in water jet and apply high degree pigments and gold by screen printing and with some mixed media techniques. Then assembled them by hinges. In paperworks I screen printed on paper and also used cake boxes for collage. All imagery in artworks are photographed by me.

Carried out in year 2010, my second solo show, “Silhouettes” is a glass interpretation of Istanbul, the city I live in. It tells about the city of Istanbul with its various mysteries and spots which have chosen to hide or still waiting to be discovered despite having been consumed ruthlessly for years; it tells about the transparent and naive Istanbul in my mind. In my works which are an abstract interpretation of the city, I worked with borosilicate glass to express the grace of the city that still remains hidden somewhere. I have completed the transparent Istanbul in my mind with city’s own colors like turquoise and blue and with old Istanbul objects – glass bottle caps – that I picked up all over the city. And the maps, the most important document which record the past and present of the city. These forms, each keep their ‘object’ status on their own, came together and transformed into transparent silhouettes which may remind of many spots in the city.

My first serial work, produced in 2009, called ‘Optical Impressions’ is about the contrasts in nature which we encounter every moment and become a part of, without noticing. These contrasts we come across in nature protect their place where they exist in our own nature and because of this, they cease to be a contradiction and become a part of our lives. In these works where hot glass forming techniques and screen printing on glass applications are used together, the glass is framed with lacquer-polished wooden cases. Along with contrasts created by constructed glass objects in foursquare cases, color contrasts have a place in these artworks, too.

In my first solo show you can see so many optical themes that I expressed by glass. In these giant wall pieces I specially work with blown glass objects and screen printed glass pieces.

Dr. Nejat F. Eczacıbaşı established the VitrA Ceramic Arts Studio in 1957, with the goal of encouraging ceramic artists and public appreciation of this medium. Over the years, the VitrA Ceramic Arts Studio has opened its doors to a large number of young and talented ceramic artists, organized public exhibitions of their work, and hosted master classes, conferences, slide shows and workshops on ceramic art.

In January 2012, VitrA signed a protocol with the Division of Ceramic and Glass Design at Mimar Sinan University of Fine Arts (MSGSÜ) that aims to contribute to the artistic development of university students and enrich their perspectives by providing them opportunities to work side by side with internationally acclaimed ceramic artists. As part of the agreement, MSGSÜ and VitrA invite four guest artists every year – two from Turkey and two from abroad – to work at the studio. During this period, VitrA and the university jointly organize ceramic art workshops at the university, and at the end of the year, MSGSÜ exhibits the artists’ work in the university’s historic building in Tophane, Istanbul. The VitrA Ceramic Arts Studio is a member of the Geneva-based International Academy of Ceramics (IAC).

Night Walk – Light and Reflection … collaboration with Zeynep Budak…projection mapping on    3 x 11 x 24.5 cm kiln formed opaque-clear glass, exhibited on mirror covered iron pedestal (19 x 24 x 110 cm),  2017

As in many other metropolises, Istanbul, the city we live in, snatches us away from nature. Although we may be unaware towards it, we still have one natural thing that is very precious – the light. Without light, it’s impossible for us to maintain our existence and cyclical rituals. In a metropolis, the light is not limited to the sun as it is in nature. We continuously illuminate our buildings, streets and every moment of our lives.

In their work “Night Walk”, the artists examine the relationship between the city and the light through images of buildings, reflections and light symbols  – the elements most frequently fond in metropolises. A shared perspective of an architect and a glass artist.

AltCity Istanbul is a digital arts residency, bringing artists from Turkey into creative collaboration to explore uses of creative technology to learn new methodologies and produce artwork that engage and speak to the fabric and communities of the city.

It is aimed to be a catalyst for improving the awareness of digital art for artists in Turkey, and their ability to make and collaborate on digital art projects for now and the future.

AltCity Istanbul is a partnership project by the British Council and Digi.logue , an interactive platform supported by Zorlu Holding and Zorlu Performing Arts Center to accelerate digital transformation and is produced by Quays Culture , Salford Quays based digital arts producers.

Artistic lead of the residency are Squidsoup , a UK based digital arts group, who specalise in digital media and light art.

Haystack’s Open Studio Residency provides two weeks of studio time and an opportunity to work in a supportive community of makers. The program accommodates approximately 50 participants—from the craft field and other creative disciplines—who will have uninterrupted time to work in six studios studios (ceramics, fiber, graphics, iron, jewelry, and wood) to develop ideas and experiment in various media.

My inspiration themes for the residency are architecture, costructional studies, mixed media, geometry, constructed memories, mental space, organic methodology, geometric formation of elements in space.

June 13-16, 2013
GlassBoston was a four-day event that includes lectures, demonstrations, tours, a film series, gallery exhibitions, dinner, non-juried show & sale, closing party, and pre/post conference workshops. GlassBoston was organized by: MIT Glass Lab, NOCA Glass School @ APG, The Society of Arts and Crafts, & Strattman Design.

Floating World Projects’ current project examines cross-cultural collaboration between Turkish and American artists working in a broad range of mediums. Over the past four years, we have forged relationships with visual artists and musicians in Istanbul with the goal of producing a project based on international artistic partnership. The aim of the project is to explore the many aspects of cross-cultural identity through visual and audio collaboration. The Project consists of four components: collaborative visual artwork, a video component, a series of audio recordings and a multi-media exhibition.
In the summer of 2011, glass artists Ayse Balyemez, Hande Buyukatli and Gulfidan Ozmen traveled to Boston to participate in a residency at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. With Leo, James and Oben Abright they visited New York City for inspiration, later developing silkscreened glass pieces that combine imagery from the city as well as references to Istanbul.
For more information on FWP and upcoming projects, please visit: FWP