Zeynep Solakoğlu (b. 1986, Istanbul) transforms art into a way of living through her surreal visual language, which draws on mythology and fantasy. She approaches her artistic practice as an extension of daily life, framing her production as a form of visual journaling. Bringing together ancient narratives and contemporary sensibilities, her work is characterized by exaggerated figures, vibrant color palettes, and cinematic compositions. Storytelling plays a central role in Solakoğlu’s paintings, which often resemble visual fables that carry traces of early cinema and the legacy of women artists from the past into the present.

While ink and watercolor have been her primary mediums, Solakoğlu has expanded her practice in recent years both in terms of materials and surfaces. She has turned to oil painting and begun using hand-crafted ceramic vases collected from various geographies as alternative canvases, transforming her visual narrative into a three-dimensional form. This experimental approach enables her to forge new relationships between image and object, figure and form. Describing herself not as an artist but a “dreamer,” Solakoğlu stands out in the Turkish art scene with her narrative-driven and intuitive approach.

Solakoğlu’s work revolves around themes such as identity, personal transformation, and resilience. Her practice explores the historical, social, and psychological layers of womanhood at once vulnerable and defiant. While she creates fantastical worlds, these worlds remain deeply rooted in the realities of the present. In her own words, she believes that her characters grow alongside her, and this has led her to develop a form of storytelling that unfolds as a visual narrative sequence.

She studied Visual Communication Design at Istanbul Bilgi University and has also pursued independent research in art history. Solakoğlu has participated in international exhibitions, and her artist book Orange Girl, which she both wrote and illustrated, is included in the library and bookstore of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SF MoMA).

Zeynep Solakoğlu currently lives and works in Istanbul.