Women You Should Know: Turkish Artist Eda Soylu

If someone asked you to name an artist you would probably start with the usual names: Picasso, Basquiat, Van Gogh. If they challenged you to name a female artist maybe you would muster up Frida Kahlo. But would it be easy for you to quickly name a female living artist? They do exist in the world and are creating in an industry that tends to promote and revere men. We can’t think of a better way to kick off our new “women you should know” series - where we introduce you to women from all over the world who are doing “cool things” - than with Turkish born and based artist, Eda Soylu.

I met Eda through friends many years ago and was intoxicated by her confidence and artistic perspective on life. At our first meeting, she was only 25 and yet had such wisdom and depth in her words. It’s her sensitivity, passionate spirit and observant nature that makes her an artist, for I believe you are either born one or you’re not. Eda has put on five solo shows in Istanbul and has had group shows in Germany, Dubai, the United States and of course, Turkey. Her fifth solo show entitled “Memory Objects”, is currently on view at Goethe Institut Istanbul.

Eda goes deep with us about what it means to be an artist, how she became one, getting noticed and making ends meet in a fickle and prickly industry.

“I thought at the time, if art could heal me, then it could maybe heal others through what I do in the future. ”

Where were you born and raised?

I was born and raised in Istanbul, in a lovely neighborhood called Moda. It is located on the Anatolian side and I still live here.

When did you know you wanted to be an artist?

During my sophomore year in high school, I went to the US, Michigan specifically, as an exchange student. I automatically became a senior because of the differences in our education systems. There I started taking advanced painting and drawing classes. I also got to go to a community college nearby to take night classes on painting. That’s where I learned about different painting techniques. Egg tempera, the technique that Botticelli used, conceptually stuck with me. The way it was being applied helped me a lot at the time because it has a healing effect. That was the very first moment that I realized art could actually heal. I thought at the time, if art could heal me, then it could maybe heal others through what I do in the future. I decided to study art. I shared this with my parents the moment I came back from the states. They weren’t shocked, for it was obvious that I was going to do something using my hands, whether it be fashion or interior architecture or you name it. The reason I didn’t choose to go down those paths is because in order to be able to look outward, I needed to first look inward. Art allowed that for me, and it still does. My parents have been extraordinarily supportive of my process as an artist.

Did you go to university to study art?

I went to RISD -Rhode Island School of Design in the US and studied painting. There was this program at RISD called EHP -European Honors Program and in 2012 I was selected to take part in it along with twenty three students from different departments. We were sent to Rome for six months and that’s where I learned how to approach my practice in an interdisciplinary way. I have to say, my experience in Rome played a significant role in transforming what I studied into what I do. Right after graduating from RISD I returned to Istanbul. At the time it was of the upmost significance for me to rent a studio, digest everything I learned at RISD and be solely in Moda. Since then, I’ve had two ways of working, in series and project based, focus mostly on installation.

Why installations?

There are a great deal of artworks labeled as “installation” especially sculptures, however this approach is incorrect. Installation has to do with space, light, color, odor, in other words, the environment that the installed work dwells in. When the work is uninstalled, longing for the installation occurs. Spaces cannot be taken for granted and they must all be treated specially and specifically. This is the reason why often times installation based works are site-specific, and they should be. This way, works get to have their own homes and to me that’s magical.

“…nothing is too easy for females in this part of the world, that goes for the art scene as well. ”

How did you get started and support yourself?

In the beginning it was very difficult. I used to produce works in my studio day and night, which is of course necessary to build up a body of work, but it also costs money. Back then I had very little connections and I wasn’t sure if any of the works would sell that year and compensate for my spending or not. To lessen that uneasy feeling I started working part-time jobs. In the past seven years, I worked part-time at Contemporary Istanbul. I had varying roles such as VIP Assistant, PR Assistant and lastly PR Head. I learned a lot from this working experience but it also helped me broaden my international connections as well. The more I exposed my work through exhibitions, art fairs and installations, the more collectors I reached, therefore my main income became through the artworks. I also did part-time artist assistant jobs for artists such as Sukran Moral and Genco Gulan. The interaction with established artists is extremely valuable and noteworthy. Nowadays I work more site-specific and project based, this allows me to have more control over my spending, which makes me feel more grounded.

How did you get your first big break?

My path isn’t one where one day I met this person and my life changed, instead, I worked really hard to reach curators, gallerists and collectors through my exhibitions and installations. I slowly built up my relationships but I think two of my exhibitions - “Constructing the House Anew” and “Remnants From My Grandmother’s House” - played an immense role for people to really notice my work. Both of these installations allowed visitors to interact with the work as they moved through and experienced it. The ground of “Constructing the House Anew” was covered with the installation project called “Wallpaper” but instead of being on the walls it was under our feet. By the time the exhibition was over, after six months, the concrete-flower pieces were turned into dust. The visitors took part in the installation by taking parts of the exhibition with them as they left. “Remnants From My Grandmother’s House” not only allowed visitors to remember and embrace their own emotions regarding loss, but also allowed them to empathize with me, as I had just lost my grandmother, and my work, which I found astonishingly valuable.

Can you describe the art scene in Istanbul?

It is a multi-faceted, growing art scene with so much potential. The art scene is trying to keep up with the pace of artists, for there are so many artists here that are beyond established, regardless of age or status. Of course we have established galleries and brilliant collectors. What I also find mesmerizing is that emerging galleries function as established galleries and I sincerely respect this. As for female artists, nothing is too easy for females in this part of the world, that goes for the art scene as well.

What inspires you and your work?

Literature and poetry play a big part in my life and they inspire my work immensely. History. Theatre. Daily life. Nature. Politics. My observations and experiences. They all inspire me and are very much intertwined with my work.

“And the House Frowned” is the title of an ongoing series I’ve been working on for ten years now. It comes from the poetry of Metin Altıok, a Turkish poet who was burned to death in the Sivas Massacre of 1993, along with thirty-four other intellectuals. His poetry dwells on the concepts of longing and belonging, which is what I base my work on.

What does “success” look like to you?

I believe it’s a balance of escalation and going deeper within. Think of a tree that grows taller and branches out as its roots go deeper underground at the same time. One does not live without the other. To me, acknowledging this information is “success”.

What character traits have contributed to any success you have achieved?

I am very hardworking and dedicated. I have a great interest in doing research and digging deeper into the things I focus on. I read and write a lot, these two traits allow me to build my work on a solid ground. I value criticism. I take full responsibility for everything I do whether it be positive or negative. This is an approach I gained at RISD and I am much too thankful for it. Last but not least, I am obsessed with details, everything about every inch matters, but also I am very much aware of the grander picture and the world those details belong in.

What are your biggest career challenges or obstacles and how do you deal with them?

I tend to view everything I do as an auto-portrait, a reflection of my life and self. Sometimes I have a hard time separating myself from what I do, they have a tendency to be integrated with each other more than necessary. Do I ever stop working? I am not so sure if I do. So instead, I try to view it as “life”, rather than viewing this as a “career”. This lessens the pressure on it and allows space for me to make mistakes. This approach softens the way I think and assists me immensely.

How do you manage self-doubt?

I try to remind myself that what I do is what I chose as a portal to express myself. There are many forms of expressions one can choose. When I say “interdisciplinary approach” I am not only referring to the term within context of art, I am talking about in life itself. I may be an artist today, I may be a writer tomorrow, or I may bake delicious cakes and decide to open up a bakery. Evolving is inevitable, it is part of the process. What I do should not matter, it’s how I do that I try to focus my attention on. This helps me significantly with managing self-doubt. Also I try not to define myself with what I do. Of course I am an artist, but I am Eda first. If I lose my hands or sight, would that mean I will no longer be an artist? I doubt it. Being an artist is directly connected with the soul and that cannot be harmed. When self-doubt kicks in, I tend to confuse these concepts sometimes. At those times I remind myself, if there is no me, there is no work. This delicate, passionate, empathy searching and craving approach is not Eda Soylu’s artworks, it’s Eda Soylu herself. If she has it, everything she does will have it.

What has been your proudest achievement so far?

I think my proudest achievement is when I installed the project “Wallpaper” all around the Balat neighborhood of Istanbul. You see, Istanbul is a dynamic city, it’s in a constant change, as are its street’s walls. I got permission from the people living in the neighborhood to install pieces made up of concrete and flowers on “their" street walls. They were so kind and welcoming that they later promised me that they’ll look after the works and they did. In a city like Istanbul, I found the works still up on the walls almost three years after. On one of the walls they did a repaint, they painted the “Wallpaper” pieces as well. Rather than using a spatula to remove them from the wall, they painted them pink. That moment was my proudest achievement ever, witnessing an installation belong to its dwelling this naturally and evolving with it.

What advice would you give to women who want to pursue art full time?

I strongly believe that what we do is all and only about communication. Art making is about creating relationships and arousing emotions, intentionally or unintentionally, that’s what we all do. Therefore, strengthening the ability to communicate with the self becomes one of the most significant aspects here. Along with that, learning new languages, skills and techniques are also solid ways to own new and varying approaches in communication, these will all serve in the artist’s favor to become fuller. To put it in one sentence: Be aware of yourself enough to hear your gut feeling and combine this with your accumulation. Also one last thing, learning how to say “no” is a must. This is an obligation in order to create boundaries to protect the work and the self.

A negative experience and how it shaped/impacted you?

My grandmother’s passing was emotionally very difficult. After she passed away I moved to her house and witnessed the transformation of dwellings. This house is my childhood, my memories, and now it is my life, my home, my studio. It has grand windows with a high ceiling and magnificent view that makes me feel like I live in a forest with a sea view. She wished for this house to fill up my soul to enlarge my breath and I believe I am fulfilling her dream every day.

A wonderful moment you would like to re-live

In 2016, we had a family trip to Bilbao. At the time at Guggenheim Bilbao, there was the Louise Bourgeois retrospective. Oh my! I cried my eyes out experiencing those works! How she, a woman suffering from claustrophobia herself, creates those claustrophobic spaces! This is where I learned the idea of having to define a space in order to be aware of one’s limits, as the sky with all its limitlessness can be more claustrophobic; I am in awe of this concept to this day.

Name a time when not getting what you wanted worked in your favor

In the past couple of years, some of my exhibitions and projects have been postponed or cancelled for they were considered “politically incorrect”. I actually strongly believe that this censorship, contributes significantly to the contextual background of the work and strengthens the meaning and effect.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Trust the process. It’s a full circle and will always be a full circle.

A quote that exemplifies your outlook on life?

“Tell your own story, and you will be interesting.”

-Louise Bourgeois

Glass sculptures by Emir Ozkaya. Image by Mert Terliksiz.

Eda is an independent artist. You can reach her:

Website: www.edasoylu.com

Instagram: @soylueda