Gaye Bezircioglu Senvenli

Your collection “Following the Route of Celebi” blends architectural memory with fictional narratives. How did the idea for this collection first come to you?

This collection wasn’t born out of a fixed concept, but rather evolved over many years as part of an ongoing visual and conceptual accumulation. Since 2013, I’ve been working intermittently on these pieces, with a more focused production between 2023 and 2025. What began as depictions of old Ottoman architecture gradually shifted toward compositions inspired by rural and Aegean settlements. Over time, a shared visual language emerged, allowing the works to come together as a coherent collection.

The title of the collection came much later. ‘Çelebi’ is an old Turkish title, derived from the word Çalab, meaning a man of virtue, a gentleman, or someone devoted to the divine. In older times, it was used to describe those who were educated and could see the world through a broader lens. “Çelebi’s Route” draws inspiration from the journeys of Evliya Çelebi, the author of the Ottoman’s famous travelogue, and presents a timeless narrative grounded in history. His travels were not only physical explorations but also acts of cultural and temporal memory, traversing spaces as well as epochs.

In this sense, the works weave fictional narratives with real architectural traces, creating dreamlike spaces where the familiar meets the imagined. Sometimes an invented structure reflects a tangible cultural memory; other times, a real element is reimagined within a poetic atmosphere. Each piece invites the viewer into a personal journey — through history, space, and memory.

Gaye Bezircioglu Senvenli | Window Of The Sun | 2022

As both an architect and an artist, how do you balance technical precision with imaginative storytelling in your works?

Architecture and art are two disciplines that feed into one another, though they operate through different logics. In architecture, technical precision, material knowledge, and structural balance are essential — but on their own, they’re not enough. A space needs soul, a narrative, something that allows it to connect with people. In my work, I try to maintain a balance between technical sensitivity and imaginative storytelling. Sometimes this balance emerges intuitively, and other times it requires a very conscious effort.

Architecture is grounded in reality — shaped by its context, historical layers, and physical limitations. Art, on the other hand, offers a freer space for expression, where imagined places can emerge beyond the constraints of the real world. My background in architecture allows me to depict built environments with structural awareness and historical sensitivity, while my artistic practice gives me the freedom to explore fictional contexts that transcend realism.

Each work often begins with a loose sketch, but the final composition unfolds organically through the painting process. This intuitive approach fosters a dynamic interaction between color, pattern, and texture — resulting in works that are both coherent and individually expressive. While certain architectural motifs reappear throughout the collection, each piece creates its own fictional setting and narrative. Over time, the visual language has grown more layered and complex, reflecting an evolution in both form and conceptual depth.

Gaye Bezircioglu Senvenli | Window | 2024

Many of your paintings reference Balkan and Aegean architecture. What specific elements of these regions inspire you the most?

I live in Urla, a region where rural life and historical layers intertwine — rich in traces of various civilizations, fertile landscapes, and the characteristic spirit of the Aegean. What fascinates me most about both the Aegean and the Balkans is their layered histories, cultural transitions, and the intimate connection between life and architecture. I’m particularly drawn to modest yet soulful structures, their harmony with nature, their tactile materials, and the way they carry time within their surfaces.

As both an architect and an artist, I see these buildings not only as aesthetic references but as vessels of memory. Elements like bay windows, vaulted interiors, and ceramic tiles appear frequently in my work — reinterpreted within fictional narratives that evoke familiar yet imagined geographies. The collection explores a kind of fictional realism, using architectural motifs rooted in local and historical forms to build a world where built environment and nature coexist. In this way, I aim to reflect not only architectural heritage, but also the intertwined lives and stories of different cultures and faiths that shaped this region.

Gaye Bezircioglu Senvenli | Round And Round | 2023

The circular and mirrored compositions in your works create a sense of timelessness. Could you talk about the symbolism of these recurring shapes?

The compositions in this collection bring together elements that reference history while evoking a sense of familiarity in the present. These dreamlike spaces, where the boundaries of reality are intentionally blurred, invite the viewer to lose their sense of time and place.

Circular and mirrored forms frequently appear in my work — not merely as geometric choices, but as symbols rich with meaning. Across many cultures, the circle represents infinity, continuity, and wholeness. It suggests a cyclical understanding of time, where beginnings and endings converge. For me, it reflects how we experience memory — not in a straight line, but in loops, layers, and echoes.

Likewise, mirrored surfaces and symmetrical compositions challenge the viewer’s perception of space and reality. Gilded textures, reflective gold elements, and contrasts between light and dark go beyond visual effect; they shape the emotional atmosphere and narrative tone of the work. These reflective layers encourage active engagement — inviting viewers to glimpse themselves within the painting and become part of its imagined world.

Gaye Bezircioglu Senvenli | Reflection | 2024

How do you use materials like gold textures and contrasting dark-light backgrounds to shape the atmosphere of your paintings?

I follow a consistent color palette for the architectural figures in my paintings — earthy tones inspired by the clay-rich soils and Byzantine terracotta of the region. In contrast, natural elements like trees, water, and grass are often depicted in vibrant greens and deep blues to create visual tension and balance. This approach helps establish a coherent visual language across the series, even though the works were created over a span of nearly ten years.

Gold textures, dark-light contrasts, and layered surfaces play a key role in shaping the atmosphere of each piece. Gold leaf adds both symbolic depth and a reflective quality that brings the viewer into the composition. Dark areas suggest silence or mystery, while lighter zones often become focal points — drawing the eye and guiding the viewer into the narrative. These contrasts not only structure the image but also create a rhythm, a tension that encourages a more contemplative engagement with the work.

What role does your academic research play in your artistic practice? Do you see them as parallel or interconnected worlds?

I see academic research and artistic practice as deeply interconnected.  My academic background provides a critical foundation — a historical and conceptual framework that deepens my understanding of space, memory, and form. In turn, my artistic practice allows me to re-engage with these ideas on a sensory and visual level. In a way, each informs and expands the questions of the other.

My earlier academic work, rooted in architecture and urban design, focused on rural and historic urban fabrics — which naturally brought an attentiveness to cultural heritage and local context. The first pieces of this collection emerged during that time. Later, I delved deeper into theoretical research on drawing and design thinking, which gave me new ways to reflect on how we relate to the act of drawing — both consciously and intuitively.

While these academic insights don’t always translate directly into the artworks, they shape how I perceive the process. I began to see each painting as the outcome of a series of technical, sensory, and sometimes accidental decisions — more of a journey than a fixed plan. This helped me embrace open-ended, process-driven approaches rather than rigidly defined sketches.

Gaye Bezircioglu Senvenli | Gilded Sky | 2024

In your opinion, how can art help preserve or reinterpret cultural heritage in today’s fast-changing world?

To me, art is not just a carrier of cultural heritage, but an ongoing dialogue with it — transforming and reinterpreting traditions in a constantly changing world. Rapid digitalization, globalization, and cultural blending can distance us from our roots. Art steps in here by giving contemporary form to the traditional, making heritage visible and alive.

Art is not a static archive but a living, breathing carrier of culture. It preserves and transforms, helping communities reconnect with their identities, especially in times of intense cultural questioning. Moreover, art dares to question the past — not just conserving it but sometimes critiquing and reimagining it. This allows us to see heritage not as a museum piece, but as a dynamic, evolving structure. In this way, art deepens and renews our relationship with cultural memory, giving voice to the past in the language of today.