Emaho: Can you tell us a bit about your early life and the moment you first realised that drawing and visual storytelling were not just hobbies, but something deeply connected to who you are?
Ece: When I was in primary school, I was the child who always answered “a painter” when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. But before becoming a professional artist, I worked as a graphic designer and art director in advertising agencies. Even though I worked for only about three years, I quickly realised that corporate life wasn’t for me. And like many people, the pandemic era became a turning point. While working remotely, I set up a small studio at home and began painting part-time. After a series of works I produced was exhibited for the first time at Mamut Art Project in 2022, a significant platform in the Turkish art scene, I started painting full-time.
Emaho: How did your time at Avni Akyol Fine Arts High School—and later at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University—shape your technique, your artistic mindset, and your confidence as an illustrator?
Ece: At Avni Akyol Fine Arts High School, we received a truly academic painting education, which allowed me to build the foundations of my practice at a very young age. Later on, I consciously chose to study Graphic Design at Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University instead of painting. Being able to use traditional painting techniques as an illustrator, while also thinking like a designer, has been incredibly valuable for me. In my creative process, beginning a painting by approaching it like a design project and occasionally drawing on the narrative qualities of illustration has become like a set of tools I naturally use. Sometimes this whole journey feels like choosing the long road instead of the shortcut, but I don’t regret it; I believe it shaped the skills I have today, and it’s been worth it.
Emaho: Your illustrations often blend surreal, playful, and slightly dark elements. If someone were encountering your work for the first time, how would you describe the world you create on the page?
Ece: I would definitely describe it as ironic. Because to me, the world we live in and everyday life itself is such a strange place. In fact, the world I create is simply my own way of perceiving the one we live in.
Emaho: From your portfolio, could you talk about one project that feels especially meaningful to you? What makes these particular pieces stand out in your practice?
Ece:: “We Will Eventually Meet One Day” is definitely the first painting I want to talk about. Created in 2019, it marks the moment when my artistic style first emerged a kind of transition point where I stepped out of being a designer and entered my illustrator/artist career. Since I made it during the pandemic, I used the title of a Turkish song as the painting’s name. In this work, I explored an aspect of everyday life through a romantic and positive sense of reality. Alongside this, one of my recent works, “Arkadaşım Ece” / “My Friend Ece,” holds a particularly special meaning for me. Despite its simplicity, the painting carries many layers related to consciousness, identity, selfhood, and the roles we embody within society.
Emaho: You recently participated in exhibitions such as The Greatest Show on Earth (and Other Lies) at La Plataforma in Barcelona. What was that experience like, and which works did you choose to exhibit?
Ece: “The Greatest Show on Earth (and Other Lies)” was a very meaningful and beautiful exhibition for me. As the second project of my collaboration with Nathalie Rey, it was also my first exhibition in Europe. In this show, our shared interest in themes of play evolved into a body of work shaped around power, authority, and sanctified imagery. It allowed me to create a new series of pieces from paintings of burning crowns, to works in which I play with the image of the human body, to explorations of symbols that, like flags, are culturally elevated or sacred.
Emaho: Many of your illustrations explore identity, belief, and collective memory through humour and irony. Where do these characters, symbols, and stories originate in your imagination?
Ece: These characters are actually people who exist in my real life. While I often use self-portraits in many of my works, I also portray the women around me as like my sister and their stories. Because I frequently work with themes such as sisterhood and friendship, many of the people I know naturally appear in my paintings.
Emaho: You also work on commercial projects, from packaging to brand collaborations. How do you balance the needs of clients with maintaining your own artistic voice and narrative style?
Ece: I genuinely enjoy taking part in commercial projects. When a client approaches me with a project in mind, they usually already have an idea of the visual world that could emerge through our collaboration. But in order to find a common ground, I also start with the question: “If Ece were to create a world together with this brand, what would it look like?” From there, the project develops through communication, and ultimately it takes shape and reaches its final form on a shared creative path.
Emaho: As a young illustrator in Istanbul, what have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve encountered in building your career, and how have you navigated them?
Ece: Although living in Istanbul is wonderful, unfortunately, we don’t have access to the same opportunities that artists in most European or other countries do. One of the smallest but most challenging examples of this is how difficult it is for us to travel abroad. For me, since I want to connect with more places around the world and exhibit my work internationally, this becomes one of the most limiting aspects. That’s why being featured in publications like, and at least getting connected with people in the international art scene is incredibly valuable to me, and something I try to pursue more and more.
Emaho: Looking ahead, what are your goals for the next chapter of your artistic journey? Are there new stories, mediums, or types of exhibitions you are eager to explore?
Ece: Yes, I’m planning to produce a new series of works in 2026, and I’m genuinely excited about it. I intend to create new paintings as well as installations and sculptures, as I have done before. Alongside this, I’m preparing for my second solo exhibition, and we also have plans for new group shows. I’m currently in contact with several galleries, and I hope this will lead to opportunities to exhibit in new countries and join international art fairs in the future.
