Talking Turkey: Artist in Residence...UKKSA Datça

I just returned from my first International Art opening! I'm excited to say my work was exhibited in the Istanbul 20th Art Fair. This is a huge exhibition with 100's of artist from around the world. How did this happen??

Well, in early October I was invited to attend a two week residency program, with some friends from Dokuz Eylul University, at UKKSA facility near Datça (Uluslar Knidos Kültür ve Sanat Akademisi). The facility provided us with housing, home cooked meals, 24 hour studio access and all the materials we needed including fantastic hospitality. Our job was to make art!!

We arrived at UKKSA and settled into our stone housing. I was eager to get to work, but the water was shut off and after a 6 hr. drive we decided to tour the facility and we hit the beach. There were too many of us for the car so I was offered to borrow a scooter. That ride down to the water, on a windy road through olive grooves...tears of joy, folks,tears of joy! It was October, it was a beautiful day and the weather was still great for swimming! Is this a dream?? We were all buzzing with excitement for the creations ahead of us...so tomorrow we begin.

We quickly feel into routine, stating with traditional Turkish breakfasts then into the studio to work until 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Then we would sit down to a big home cooked meal and after çay we were off to the beach. Returning to the studio after dinner to work until 1or 2 am. What a life! Eat, sleep, make art. Could I ask for anything more?? Falling into the routine and staying in constant creative mode progresses the work quickly. My notebooks were filling up and clay forms start to gain success. So here I am, surrounded by Turkish people all day, everyday. At first, I was constantly trying to translate conversations, but that can be exhausting. So I found myself tuning into my work, driven with creative thoughts and concepts. Diving deep in ideas and ...
! Boom! Someone would asks me a question - in English...I'm so involved in my thoughts I have to come too out of the fog, like waking from a dream, and come back to this external reality. It was really strange...and wonderful. So, after one week I agreed I would not speak any more English, IF everyone spoke extremely slow and simple Turkish. Agreed. Now the fun really begins!

I made rocks,- ceramic vases/vessels.... one series inspired by the sea washed stones and another series on the mt. landscape of the area. These forms soon morphed into a third series of stones influenced by the 100 yr old olive tree trunks..but enough art babble....
Here are some photos of the facility, my friends and the some of our work. All I can say is..it was fantastic!