Ebru Dosekci is one of our important sculpture artists. She actually studied at the Faculty of Communication, 1993 Ege University Communications Public Relations Graduate. Art has been in her life since her middle and high school years. She first started to work professionally in one of the leading foreign companies, one of the dream companies of most young professionals. She was sculpting at the time. Later, she decided to study art at Yeditepe University. During that time she even got married and raised two children. Her passion for art was so strong that she overcame all obstacles. While she was studying, she continued to work, sculpt and take care of her children. In short, she left professional life 17 years ago to work towards her passion in art. She has been working at this ever since. In 2013, she entered a new generation cafe business with the Cup of Joy brand with a friend, saying “we should do other things”. Since then, she has been obsessed with “how to make quality coffee” while dealing with art. I’ve been a guest at the Bebek Passage store many times and tasted her coffee, I recommend it. Now, I am giving the answers to my questions to Ms. Dosekci about art.
- You have a journey from the Faculty of Communication to sculpture. What kind of a journey is this, what kind of person did sculpting make you?
After graduation, I worked in the media departments of various corporate companies. When a person is young, he does not know himself well and does not listen. He cares more about the values and priorities of the environment, family and society. Over time, I realized with more clarity that this job was not for me. I wanted to produce, create, and hold what I produced in my hands. However, in my work, there were only flying numbers and some commercial gains. I was working both at work and sculpting amateurishly. In 2003, I decided to take a different path for myself by starting my master’s degree in art. Now that I don’t have a salary deposited in my bank account every month, I’ve promised myself that I would continue on this path by facing any & all kinds of difficulties, it was a transition from my comfortable life to a completely uncertain adventure for me.
*I think this is MIM, the initial letter of the will, in Turkish Murad, my name.
In her sculptures, Ebru Dosekci tries to describe positive feelings such as love, joy, hope, unity and trust, and our common building blocks that connect us to life, with the help of different materials, forms and techniques. The artist aims to open a gateway from her own imagination to the imagination of the viewer by transforming these spiritual concepts, which are completely distant from matter, into three dimensional, visible and tangible forms.
2. What is your sculpture process in general? What concepts feed you?
In the past, I used to go to the workshop knowing what I was going to do, starting from a drawing. For the last few years, after entering the workshop, I have been going through a process where a small child spends time in a trance by diving into playing lego without knowing or caring what the result will be. I listen to music, sometimes I dance. Sometimes I read a book while lying down. At that time, the work is completed in the background in my head; but not always successfully. That’s when I give up that job without pity like a child who doesn’t like what he has done and spoiled it.
3. Could you explain separately how this process developed in your works for Yildiz Holding?
I designed the plaques to be given to “Friends of ULKER” on Ulker’s 70th anniversary. It was a plaque made up of 7 biscuits in total, featuring the Petit Beurre biscuit, which is considered a start for Ulker for every 10 years. We have crowned the 70th anniversary by placing a giant arrangement of this iconic biscuit, which is considered one of the cornerstones of this great establishment, at the entrance of the holding 🙂
The two “Red Apple” sculptures were ordered by Murat Ulker, asking me to express them abstractly in my own style. Red is already a color that I use often, and the form is abstract enough to make you think of it when you say its name. My other sculptures within the Holding are the works, that you took the time to choose according to your liking from my exhibitions.
Ebru Dosekci, Kizil Elma (Red Apple) is at Yildiz Holding. There are three of these stylistic Red Apple sculptures, located in our global centers. One above; Yildiz Holding Headquarters is in Istanbul, the other is in Godiva Corporate Headquarters in New York, and the third is in London, in pladis Headquarters. Someday I must tell you our Red Apple Story!
4. Do you express yourself while sculpting, or is your agenda to please the gallery owners and customers? Or does it depend on the situation, how?
Over the years, I understood that the more sincere I am to myself and to my viewers, the stronger I can stand behind my work. In addition, finding the value of my work and achieving my economic freedom has a great share in my experience of this comfort.
This sculpture is a small section of the sound waves of the whale known as the Loneliest Whale. It was inspired by the sound recordings of other blue whales, although the original sound recording was not clear due to the depth of its voice. Since the Loneliest Whale sounds were at a different frequency (52 hertz) than all other whales, no living thing of its own kind could communicate, therefore unable to find a mate for the same reason, it was doomed to loneliness. The Loneliest Whale, whose mystery could not be solved by scientists, has become an icon for nature lovers, and various campaigns have been made in its name and towards helping it. The fate of the whale, which was lost in the early 2000s, is unknown.
5. How did the sculptures you made for the holding contribute to your progress and transformation in art?
Being a part of an important collection such as Yildiz Holding and knowing that I am constantly supported by them as a female artist is very important to me, and of course its contribution is undeniable. Also, you always come up with different and unusual projects, you get me excited about what I can do and you open new horizons. Therefore, I cannot deny that I have learned a lot from you.
On the other hand, when ordering all these works or adding a work to the collection, I always keep the taste and attraction in the foreground; but there’s always another expectation or something like being part of a plan. Especially in sculpture art, objects have a subjective meaning and a stimulating aspect for me. This applies to almost all objects. I even have paintings and sculptures in my room in this context.
*I think this piece is a disk drive and it tells me to employ a CDO.
6. At the moment, where is the Turkish sculpture art in the world, and where do you see yourself?
Sculpture is more difficult than other arts. A workshop, plenty of materials and physical strength are needed. It is not preferred much by women anyway. Sculpture is on the rise around the world, because the walls of collectors are full :).
There are very good sculpture artists in Turkey, each of them is up to date and well versed in their work to achieve worldwide success. But unfortunately it is not easy for any of us to raise our heads out of this land.
Ebru Dosekci is a very humble artist. Frankly, the simplicity in her works and the way she expresses herself with this simplicity are what I like the most. If one or anyone of our sculptors from these lands is going to raise their heads, I’m sure one of them will be Dosekci. I know what will be encountered when trying to become a global company from these lands, but I will leave the guess of difficulties of getting to a higher status as an artist to those who know, namely the artists themselves, what do you think?
My artist friends, dear art lovers, I’m asking you, is it difficult to go abroad as an artist from this land, as Ebru Dosekci said? When you manage to be global, do they make silly rumors about you, such as “she packed her bags and set her heart on another country”?
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