We were lucky to catch up with Zeynep Gedikoglu recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zeynep, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I have been a sculptor since 2008 when I was pregnant with my 1st child. It was a sort of inspiration. Since then I attended collective exhibitions, When COVID-19 started my job contract wasn’t renewed. I had all the time to think about the creative process and my sculpting ideas. Then I felt like it was the time to pursue an art career. I realized that whatever happens no one may take away my artistic talent and imagination. That was when I decided to pursue sculpture as an artistic professional path. You know, attitude changes the flow of things in life. This decision was life-changing. Afterward, opportunities started to flow by my path. In 2023 I received the South Carolina Arts Commission Emerging Artist Grant and On February 2nd, 2024 for the first time, I will be opening my first solo exhibition organized by the Etherredge Center at the University of South Carolina Aiken.

Zeynep, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My brand ZSculpture is unique and versatile in the way I create art and the projects I take on. I believe an artist should give back to the community. I started to create multi-medium and multi-dimensional sculptures using clay and glaze in 2008. It was purely amateur at first. Then as I joined the collective exhibitions to raise funds for Non-Profit Organizations that help women I started to receive empowering feedback from other artists, professionals in design and architecture, and gallery owners. In the beginning, you feel like there is a long way to go and what you create is never good enough, But in time, as I received productive feedback I formed a collaboration with an interior architecture and design office. This collaboration provided me with a stage to present my work to the community. I believe art is crucial if one wants to differentiate her/his home or office. Artists primarily work off imagination, emotions, and instinct, whereas designers employ a functional process. However, a great design is first and foremost art in itself. I provide art that is distinctive in design to empower private and public places. With my work, I provide creative placemaking, partnering with public, private, non-profit, and community sectors to strategically shape the physical and social character of homes, professional offices, spaces, neighborhoods, towns, cities, or regions around arts and cultural activities. I am proud that my sculptures help in creative placemaking, which animates public and private spaces, rejuvenates structures and streetscapes, improves local business viability and public safety, and brings diverse people together to celebrate, inspire, and inspire. I am proud that I take every opportunity to collaborate with other artists, and vendors to make an impact on other businesses while being commissioned by Non-Profits, businesses, or individuals who value the power of art in changing attitutes and empowering.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I have two particular goals that drive my creative journey. First, I would like to network and collaborate with Non-Profit Organizations that work for children’s well-being. I would like to organize exhibitions, auctions, and other charity events to contribute to the lives of disadvantaged and distressed kids. I feel like we are all liable to Children in need of a helping hand and art may be a great source to raise funds or raise smiles. The second goal I have is about a problem in American cities. Suburbs and small towns confront structural changes and residential uprooting may payoff gains in livability, safety, and diversity. The solution may be to revitalize these American residential places through creative initiatives that animate places and spark economic development. The payoffs may be; gains in livability, diversity, safety, jobs, and incomes as well as, innovative products and services for the cultural industries. Therefore, I am looking for opportunities in which I may produce public art that may be placed in open spaces to uplift place-making and communities.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I don’t have an experience with NFTs but I am very pro for all kinds of new approaches and methods to creation. I believe because sculpting is a 3-dimensional art it may produce NFTs through physical pieces of art by photographing techniques and as well through creating a three dimensional NFT by computer processing. I am looking forward to the future where as sculptures we may create a 3 dimensional design in a computer program and create it physically through a three-dimensional printer that uses metal, wood, and natural stones such as granite and marble.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.zsculpture.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zsculpture/
• Facebook: www.facebook.co,/zeynepgedikoglu.sculpture