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

Zeynep, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I am very happy as an artist and creative , i can’t imagine myself doing something else.But i feel like , sometimes , when you are very passionate about something , things lose it’s balance.Being in a studio most of the day , painting alone is very isolating and challenging.You should have a balance in your work and social life.Sometimes i wonder if i had a regular job and have a clear distinction between my work and my life.It’s an unknown to me.Should be nice to have a clear boundaries in your life and a healthy sleeping schedule , but i go back to painting anyway.

Zeynep, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Zeynep Solakoglu.I am a painter and a new brand owner. and i occasionally write.In 2017 , I self-published and illustrated my one and only book ” Orange Girl ” that won the best book award by the Graphic Designers Association in Turkey. It was a limited edition art book that was sold in bookstores around the world , including The bookstore of SF MoMa.I am very proud of that.
My main occupation however is painting , i work from my studio in Istanbul . I am interested in stories , character development and design and i read a lot of biographies of woman artists , i love the old styles of special effects in early cinema and comedy! So my interests are kind of a mishmash that i try to merge in my work. I worked with several galleries and attended group shows around the world including London , Berlin , Barcelona , New York and Istanbul . My last group show was in The Dorothy Circus Gallery in London and my last solo show was in 2019 in Pilevneli Gallery , Istanbul . My heart always feels fulfilled when i can work with my favorite charities ( Kizbasina & Mor Cati Dernegi ) donating my works to be sold for their efforts of equality.

In 2021 , i started my own brand called ” Ziggyhuri “. Ziggyhuri is a unisex and size-inclusive , ecological brand that consists of colorful patterns designed by me that are printed on robes, scarves and loungewear. They are the clothing equivalent of a bear hug!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

When I was starting , I always thought , you need to work constantly and you will be discovered , like the old days . I thought the artists were discovered all of a sudden and what i had to do was work and wait and be patient.the i went to Amsterdam , to the Van Gogh Museum and saw a writing on the wall that said Van Gogh’s brother’s wife worked for 20 years to get his work , where it is now. So it really wasn’t like that in the old days either . I don’t know why i thought that . You should work hard of course but you also should put effort in putting your work out there . Reach out to people , share your work , attend shows . If nothing , do a guerrilla show with couple of friends , one of my most successful shows was a guerrilla show.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me it is the freedom of living by my own rules . Having a pipeline from your heart to your hands , of expressing on the canvas , what we cannot put in words . Being sensitive to everything around you and the journey of opening yourself to them and seeing where it takes you . It’s a an adventure of the mind and a privilege .

Contact Info:

• Website: www.zeynep-solakoglu.com
• Instagram: @zeynepsolakoglu @ziggyhuri
• Other: www.ziggyhuri.com