Before discussing the 1wall exhibition "Eye Contact" with the collaboration pf of Büyükdere35 x Sanata Bi Yer, we would like to know you, could you introduce yourself and explain your production process?

- Currently, I live, work, and produce in Ankara. I was a vegetarian during the volunteering, but I have now become a vegan. My artistic practice is evaluating as a result of the emotional connection, I developed with the sheep I touched for the first time.

We notice that you use sustainable materials such as imitation leather. Could you inform us about this choice and process?

- My choices generally stem, while thinking about the forms of domination imposed on animals. Consistency in my material choices is important to me. I strive to prefer plant-based materials or synthetic alternatives to animal products that are commonly run into in our daily lives but often not knew, questioned or realized regarding their ingredients because we normalize them. Sometimes, I opt for ready-made objects from the industrial system and repurpose materials away from their original intended use, transforming them into art objects that no longer serve their initial purpose.

We see that within the extent of the 1wall exhibition, two different installations entitled ‘’Where Am I Now?’’ and ‘’The Legitimacy of Domination’’ are being exhibited. Could you share with us the creation stories of these artworks?

- My work named “The Legitimacy of Domination" involves a five-month period that began with my voluntary involvement in the treatment of farm animals affected by the fire in Manavgat, Antalya, on July 28, 2021. It has occurred by my awareness of the deformations caused by melted plastic earrings adhering to skin of the sheep, as I applied ointment to their burns affected by the fire, monitoring their temperatures and breathing. I remember feeling disturbed when I noticed the numbers on the earrings, because we had given each of these animals the names of the volunteers who had saved them. So, they were not just numbers to us; they had become like one of us. Each had their own unique personality, could feel pain, and could react to pain just like us. Afterwards, the bond we formed grew stronger. When we experienced losses, we were deeply saddened, and I directed the impact of this experience on my art practice to commemorate our losses. This work of mine is a way to commemorate the animals who lost their lives in the fire.

"Where Am I Now?" evolves from my previous works. By plant-based soap, imitation wool, and numbers I move to convey a message. This work occurs as my touching upon the increasing violations of the right to life each year through the relationship I have formed between historical past of soap and animals, imitation wool, and numbers.

- In your works, you draw attention to animal issues, how does the research process for this particular topic unfold for you? Where do your personal experiences fit into this process? What are your starting points?

My personal experience occupies the center of this issue because I have taken it upon myself to transmit the events I have experienced. Thanks to my volunteer work, my eating habits and perspective on animals have changed. In my research, I realize that there is no limit or end to the use of animals, then I started to think what I can do by using art. I usually keep by reading books, watching documentaries, and studying articles focused on this issue and keeping a research journal dedicated to it. From time to time, communicating with activists around me prompts me to think deeper upon the animal domination. Recently, I have been visiting areas that could trigger my production, attempting to come to terms with the scenes I witness beforehand, and documenting the moment through photography.

- In today's art scene, do you think there are enough subjects that approach sustainability and animal abuse? How do you perceive the audience's response to these contexts?

I believe that the number of artists wanting to address this issue will increase every day through personal transformation and awareness. Because we experience firsthand the damage that we inflict on the world we live in. The person that we consider as an artist, as someone who observes and reflects the era they live in, will not remain viewer to social events, natural disasters, and the climate crisis and they will make them their subject.

I find myself under the impression that viewers empathize more easily when they hear the story behind the work created by the artist. Therefore, after engaging in mutual communication, the viewers begin to contemplate these contexts. The feedback I receive also gives me hope in this regard.