1. Gizem Saka Contemporary Turkish Painter “Art makes me free.”

2. Background Information Gizem was born in 1978 in Istanbul, Turkey. She is a self taught painter, who began with charcoal drawings and sculpture. Between 1995 – 1999 she worked in artists studios before moving to New York in 1999, where she is currently living and painting.

3. Artist Statement “ My art is about experimenting with shapes and colours. I see arts as an expression of feelings but more importantly as a domain for freedom. Painting has given me the flexibility to expand in all directions: expanding along the surface of the canvas vertically and horizontally and then going deep into the painting, which completes the idea of space and movement in that space. It’s vast.” www.artquotes.net/artists/saka

4. Gizem uses a lot of colour in her works, which emphasis the distorted shapes that she creates. The distorted shapes are a natural consequence of using the same canvas consistently. When she is unsatisfied with her work she turn the painting upside down and tries to super impose another image. As we go through her paintings, see if you can recognise which paintings she may have done this with.

5. Major Influences Matisse’s Green Stripe (Madame Matisse) Saka’s Simple Thoughts Henri Matisse's’ work has a strong influence in Saka’s, who created works full of warmth and for personal contentment. Didactic works do not appeal to Saka. Saka believes artworks should tell a story, making the viewer aware of how other people feel, how they live and how they love.

6. Matisse’s Woman Matisse’s influence: Saka took one of Henri Matisse's sketches he made on the corner of one of his books, and gave the woman a different face. She also altered the original by adding colour. How do you think colour and shape have been used to enhance features in Matisse’s Woman?

7. Istanbul Houses The painting Istanbul Houses is greatlyinfluenced by Gizem’s cultural background, growing up in Istanbul. Sakahas a strong desire to paint different aspects of the Turkish culture and of places in Istanbul.

8. Istanbul through Saka’s EyesThe two different sides Blue Sky Crowded City

9. The Woman Collection This collection of paintings are inspired by everyday activities. If it is raining, Gizem will paint a woman with an umbrella. When she is not in the mood to do anything, she may paint a woman sitting and thinking.

10. What emotions do you feel from these paintings? Tired? Relaxation? Sleepy?

11. Functional Art Owls on a Tree Nap Time The clock is a progression from the tree. Nap time actually shows the time through a scene.

12. Sailing Ships Collection Inspired by 17th Century Ottoman Iznik Tiles

13. Colour, Line and Shape Take a close look at Fisherman at Night. How have each of the above elements been used to create this effective oil painting?

14. Livestrong Saka painted Livestrong to donate to the Lance Armstrong foundation. The painting got auctioned at their annual fundraising gala in May 2006. What elements can you recognise in this painting?

15. Bird Collection When you look at these art works, what shape do you thinks stands out in each picture?

16. Three Faces of September This painting is not like most of Saka’s works. I think that it has a great amount of warmth. Do you agree?

17. “ Everything else is restrictive and imprisoning, while painting is like nice clean air so that you can breathe freely.”Gizem Saka

18. References http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/matisse/green-stripe/ http://istanbulgallery.bluearcher.com/default.asp http://www.artquotes.net/artists/saka/artist-interview.htm http://www.sentinelpoetry.org.uk/0607/gizem_saka.htm