Evin Ashley Erdogdu

Inspired by North African street art. 4-19-15

I - A dream of a black peacock. Inspired by Liet-Kynes’ reaction to, “Damn the spice!” demonstrating the value Duke Leito Atreides held for his people. 3-7-25

II - Inspired by Tokyo Vice: “Are you willing to die for what you believe in, or remain a coward?” 3-14-25

III - “See; peace”. Inspired by the shifting world order, and Tokyo Vice: “Once we open a door, it is very hard to close.” 3-23-25

I - “Lotus flower”. The Angkor Wat was constructed in 1150 AD as a Hindu temple dedicated to the deity Vishnu, who is often depicted sitting atop a lotus flower. According to Hinduism, Vishnu is The Supreme Being; God of Preservation, Restorer of Dharma, Bestower of Karma, and The Protector of Good.

The Angkor Wat is featured in “Postcard from Earth”, a film playing at The Sphere in Las Vegas. Drawing is a replication of Frank Lloyd Wright coaster design.

I think what a joy it is to be alive, and I wonder if I’ll ever leap inward to the root of this flesh and know myself as once I was. The root is there. Whether any act of mine can find it, that remains tangled in the future. But all things a man can do are mine. Any act of mine may do it. — Dune: Messiah. 2-5-25

II - Inspired by the ending of Woodkid - Iron. Complement to “Imagination”. 2-5-25

III - Athena on Any Given Sunday. 2-8-25

I - “Wisdom”. Inspired by Proverbs 3:13-18:

Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.

She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.

Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed. 1-6-25

II - “Lightning root”. Inspired by Gandalf’s epic battle with the Balrog - and a complement to “I can never die”, drawn one year ago. 1-13-25

III - “Be still.” Inspired by a meditation at Joshua Tree in 2017 when Psalms 46:10-11 came to mind, and the lyrics of “Be Still My Soul”, magnificently performed by the Armed Forces Chorus in 2025. 1-14-25

IV - “Power of Love.” Inspired by the movie Mud (2012) starring Matthew McConaughey, and Huey Lewis And The News’ track by the same name.

Related to “Heaven and Earth, Din and Dünya, The Snake and Sabır.” 1-19-25

I - Red-necked tanager, inspired by a recent dream. 12-4-24

II - “Follow the White Rabbit”. 12-19-24

III - “You don’t have to pay with him. You paid enough.” From The Batman (2022). A complement to “Betrayal”. 12-22-24

I - “Heaven and Earth, Din and Dünya, The Snake and Sabır.”

Inspired in part by Aphrodisias in modern day Türkiye—a city devoted to the Roman goddess Venus, as well as schools for sculpture and philosophy. 11-10-24

II - Inspired by a scene from X-Men (2000): Jean Grey and Senator Kelly discussing mutants. 11-8-24

I - "Mood", inspired by the scene in Dune. 10-12-24

II - "Mos Eisley Meeting". 10-7-24

I - Sapphire in a plant. Drawn while listening to "Diamond Veins" and "Kryptonite". 9-25-24

II - "Everything changed". Inspired in part by the ending of Dunkirk (2017) — how in time, "the New World with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the Old." 9-8-24

III - The setting of a dream, at a cocktail-party funeral in a botanical garden. 9-5-24

I - "Blossom", inspired by the book Murderbot, "Exit Strategy", and the movie Man of Steel (2013), which have the same themes of destiny, self-determination, and being a force for good.

The one good thing about having emotions was that it accelerated the repair process for my memory storage. (...) A complex series of neural connections, all positive, led me to a large intact section of protected storage, [the series] The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. And boom, hundreds of thousands of connections blossomed.

8-9-24

II - "Killer", inspired by the lyrics in the song of the same name by Seal. 8-23-24

I - "Yaren", inspired by the Turkish stork and companion, drawn listening to Tokyo Vice - Missouri.

Japanese 凛 (rin) in the background roughly translates to "dignified, severe, cold". 7-1-24

II - "I know why you want to hate me. 'Cuz hate is all the world has ever seen lately." Inspired by Limp Bizkit - Take A Look Around. 7-16-24

I - "Rules of the heart", from Dune II. 6-17-24

II - "In the gray", inspired by a dream searching for someone in the afterlife; drawn listening to DeadMau5 - Faxing Berlin. 6-19-24

III - Replication of another artist's work. 6-29-24

I - "Friend of horses". Inspired by a scene from Lord of the Rings (2001), and Freud's theory of the ego and the id, using the metaphor of horse and rider. 5-12-14

II - “May Day”, inspired by Ahsoka Tano in the Mandalorian. 5-3-24

After the fall of the empire, Morgan Elsbeth sought to return Thrawn to the galaxy, and led an army along with the aid of Imperial sympathizers to achieve this.

She led a ruthless regime and served as magistrate. Elsbeth was in possession of a spear made of pure beskar, and offered it as payment to the Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin for him to kill the former Jedi Ahsoka Tano.

However, Ahsoka and Djarin banded together and defeated Elsbeth.

I - “Augustus” - whose death cite may have finally been discovered. 4-23-24

II - “One Day”, inspired by the book and series by the same name, and the Charles Dickens quote:

“That was a memorable day to me, for it made great changes in me. But it is the same with any life. Imagine one selected day struck out of it, and think how different its course would have been. Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day.”

4-22-24

II - “Eclipse of Pax”. Pax was the deification of peace, recognized for the first time by the Roman emperor Augustus—whose reign ushered in an unprecedented 200-year era of peace known as Pax Romana.

April 8, 2024 marks a celestial solar eclipse. In this drawing, Pax intercedes the eclipse, usually a harbinger of war, to illuminate peace upon earth. Inspired in part by Ernst Wenck’s (1865-1929) bronze sculpture, sold at auction in 2020.

4-7-24

I - “Stars like confetti”, inspired by the Dustin Lynch song. 3-16-24

II - “Caduceus”, carried by Mercury, the god of communication. A symbol of peace, originally the caduceus was an olive branch decorated with garlands. It evolved into two opposing snakes entwined with their heads facing, with a pair of wings as a token of Mercury’s speed. 3-23-24

I - “Garden of the mind” — a follow up to “Chirashi”. In part inspired by two similar inscriptions; one from a “Tablet Inscribed with Instructions for the Underworld”, in the Getty Villa Los Angeles, and a biblical teaching that the water of heaven does not remove dirt from the body, but flows through and refreshes the mind. 2-20-24

II - “Get Up, Trinity”. 2-16-24

III - “The Horse Whisperer” — a 1998 American Western drama film, based on the novel by Nicholas Evans. 2-9-24

I - “Betrayal”. Inspired by Queen Elizabeth and Lord Robert Dudley in the 1998 film. 1-3-24

II - “Darkstar”, from the scene in Top Gun: Maverick (2023). 1-7-24

III - “I can never die”, inspired by Rob Zombie - Dragula lyrics. 1-23-24

I - “Joker Therapist”, inspired by the ending of Molly’s Game. 12-28-23

II - “Get it from the main vine”, from the lyrics of Redbone - "Come and Get Your Love". 12-27-23

III - “Chirashi”, inspired by a mixture of scattered cover art from Coldplay’s “A Rush of Blood to the Head” album (2002).

Chirashi is a mixture of scattered sushi ingredients, together in a bowl. 12-8-23

IV - “Ministry of Love”. Inspired by several works of art: The human brain’s amygdala, which is generally known as the most primitive part of the brain housing our primal emotions of fear and love, lyrics of a Vampire Weekend song, and the Graham Greene novel, “The Ministry of Fear”, which ended with this message:

"A phrase (...) came back to mind about a Ministry of Fear. He felt now that he had joined its permanent staff. But it wasn't the small Ministry (...) with limited aims like winning a war or changing a constitution. It was a Ministry as large as life to which all who loved belonged. If one loved one feared."

12-28-23

I - Sword of Damocles. 11-4-23

II - Hiking in a mountain years ago, these friendly horses stared at me. Recently, they came to mind after reading an I-Ching passage about the energy of heaven and earth, mirrored in mountains and mares (horses). 11-24-23

III - Battle for the soul of freedom, on X (inspired by the final battle scene of X-Men). 11-30-23

I - Sketch of an Art Nouveau Candelabrum, 20th century. 10-1-23

II - “Marriage”, inspired by a scene in The Matrix. 10-1-23

III - “I’m not a soldier”, based on dialogue from Sicario (2015) and the moral complexity of right and wrong. 10-14-23

I - “Kintsugi Kylo”, inspired by the ancient Japanese art form to repair broken pottery with prominent gold, silver, or shimmering lacquer. The art form embodies the philosophy of embracing imperfection as a means value and growth; growing stronger and exemplifying beauty through pain and transformation. Kylo-Ren’s mask from Star Wars serves as an example of kintsugi. 9-14-23

II - “Yin and Yang”, inspired by the power of oneness in duality; balance and equality in a relationship. Colored by the heart chakra (green anahata), and solar plexus chakra (yellow manipura), this drawing is a sequel to “Invisible Touch”, and inspired by another Genesis song. 9-12-23

I - “Invisible Touch”, inspired by Genesis, with image credit to the ocular engine, @Archillect. 8-20-23

II - “Listen with your heart, you will understand”. Inspired by Disney’s Pocahontas (1995). 8-20-23

From the film, “Prey” (2022): Naru and her companion, Sarii.

A vivid dream I had recently; sprinkling pomegranate seeds in a stagnant eternal river. The river began to sparkle and flow again, with the pomegranate seeds. 6-4-23

See “Tablet Inscribed with Instructions for the Underworld”, from the Getty Villa in Los Angeles, CA:

(Initiate): I am parched with thirst and perishing!
(Spring): Then come drink of me, the Ever-Flowing Spring, on the right - a white cypress is there. Who are you? Where are you from?
(Initiate): I am the son of Earth and Starry Heaven. But my race is heavenly.

I - “April Showers, May Flowers.” In part inspired by the lyrics of Lauren Daigle’s powerful ballad, “You Say”, 5-6-23:

You say I am loved when I can't feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And you say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don't belong, oh You say I am Yours
And I believe
Oh, I believe
What You say of me
I believe

II - “Autonomy and intelligence.” 5-7-23

III - A relief in the Temple of Augustus, in modern day Ankara, Türkiye. It appears in its degradation to be the roots of trees or octopi tentacles intertwining.

The temple in Ankara is the only place in the world that has the entire, preserved Deeds of Augustus - the Res Gestae Divi Augusti; the official autobiography of Augustus. A significant passage:

“In my sixth and seventh consul­ships,​ when I had extinguished the flames of civil war, after receiving by universal consent the absolute control of affairs, I transferred the republic from my own control to the will of the senate and the Roman people. For this service on my part I was given the title of Augustus​ by decree of the senate, and the doorposts of my house were covered with laurels by public act, and a civic crown was fixed above my door,​ and a golden shield was placed in the Curia Julia whose inscription testified that the senate and the Roman people gave me this in recognition of my valor, my clemency, my justice, and my piety.​ After that time I took precedence of all in rank, but of power I possessed no more than those who were my colleagues in any magistracy.”

Also pictured are ruins colored by red, white, and a blue sky. The parallels between the Roman Empire and the United States are numerous, and intertwined.

5-7-23

I - “Renewal”. Inspired by the tragedy in southern Türkiye (Turkey), and northern Syria. A photo in Le Monde appeared to me as a dragon rising from the ashes. 4-20-23

II - “Perhaps it is time to begin again”. Inspired by the impulse of life for renewal from the darkness; the spring. Quote from the trailer for Ahsoka (meaning “pure”, “hopeful” in Sanskrit). 4-9-23

Something’s coming…something dark. I sense it.
The Jedi fell a long time ago. There aren’t many left.
Perhaps it is time to begin again.

III - “The Evenstar” of enlightenment, drawn while listening to related music. 4-8-23

IV - Inspired by the interplay of darkness and light in Cancún, Mexico. 3-20-23

“One”, inspired by the Sanskrit meaning of the heart chakra, “Unhurt, unstruck, immaculate, unspoiled”, and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

3-1-23

“The Force will be with you. Always.” :)

“Eyes like supernovas”, 2-19-23. Inspired by a beautiful compliment, and the Snow Patrol lyrics:

“All that I am / All that I ever was / Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see.”

“Hercules”, inspired by the incredible Disney film (1997). Originally drawn 1-3-23, re-drawn on 2-21-23.

“Athena and Phobos”. To depict the forever struggle between the angels and demons of human nature. Human nature is a constant.

In memory of Athena Strand, inspired by Tems - No Woman No Cry, from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever".

12-7-22

“Imagination”, inspired by the fictional Star Wars planet Alderaan, with Metacelse - Marbles in the background.

11-28-22

I - “Job 39:19-25”: This Bible passage is a conversation between Job, who is miserable in his suffering, and God, who reminds him of the bravery of the horse, and its fearless and unyielding zest for the gift of life.

Inspired in part by the series, Yellowstone. 10-6-22

II - “To see a world in a grain of sand / And a heaven in a wild flower / Hold infinity in the palm of your hand / and eternity in an hour.”

Inspired by several works of art and philosophy, including William Blake’s verses, a mantra from the sci fi epic Dune, and a digital Illustration of an encounter with a UAP (UFO). 10-25-22

I - “The Giver”. Inspired by a scene from the 2014 film, based on the Newbery Medal-awarded book authored by Lois Lowry. The Giver is one of the most influential novels of our time. 9-11-22

II - “Dreamcatcher”. Dreamcatchers are a Native American tradition and tool, used to catch your dreams in a web to remain with you, while the nightmares escape through the hole.

The spider in the web is inspired by friendly spiders I’ve seen recently, spinning a web.

The photo of dreamcatchers is from a hidden stairwell in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, in November 2021.

9-11-22

III - Curating the jungle of the mind. Albert Einstein once said, “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” 9-28-22

I - “Hecate searches in Syria”. 8-19-22

Hecate, a liminal goddess representing boundaries between realms, is a lesser known mythological figure with roots in Asia Minor (modern day Türkiye/Turkey), later deified in Ancient Greece and Rome. She searched for kidnapped Persephone in the underworld of Hades, to return her home on Earth.

This image of Hecate came to me while thinking of Austin Tice in Syria. Hecate again searches for the kidnapped, in Syria, to return him home.

II - “Strawberry Fields Test”. 8-7-22

III - “We move along”, inspired by a mash up of John Mayer’s ‘Last Train Home’ and The All-American Rejects’ ‘Move Along’. 8-7-22

IV - “Mystery of Life”, a complement to “We’ll find a way”, from Dune (2021). 8-7-22

“Grey”. 7-9-22

“Piggy in Progress”. 6-1-22

I - “Night Changes”, inspired by the One Direction song. 5-21-22

We're only gettin' older, baby
And I've been thinkin' about it lately
Does it ever drive you crazy
Just how fast the night changes?
Everything that you've ever dreamed of
Disappearing when you wake up
But there's nothing to be afraid of
Even when the night changes
It will never change me and you

II - “Kryptonite”, inspired by the song by 3 Doors Down. 5-5-22

III - A couple years ago, a friend had me answer a pop psychology quiz question: “Think of a square. What do you see?” The answer today - different - inspired me to draw it out, and the waters and shining sands of Greenwich Point, CT (pictured) inspired its coloring. 5-15-22

IV - “Fortuna”, the goddess of fortune; inspired by Raffaello Romanelli’s modern bust. The song “You’re So High” by Eli & Fur (Kazbiel edit) was great background music for the sketch. 5-15-22

V - “Clear and true”, inspired by the ending of The King (2019). Spoiler alert in clip - it is the ending! 5-21-22

I - “Blooming”. Inspired by the lyric, “I am just anxious for the tomorrow that awaits you”, from Mohsen Yeganeh - Behet Ghol Midam (I promise you). 4-3-22

II - Octavian, 2022. 4-18-22

I - “Wisdom”, inspired by Athena’s Owl, and Ibibio Sound Machine - Electricity. 3-27-22

II - Inspired by a scene in World War Z (2013), based on the original book. 3-10-22

III - Two horses on the side of the freeway. From a dream. 3-7-22

IV - “Wallflower”, as a human, is defined as “a person who has no one to dance with or who feels shy, awkward, or excluded at a party.” In A Victorian Flower Dictionary, the wallflower is a symbol of “fidelity in adversity”. 3-19-22

I - “Faith, Hope and Love”. 2-6-22

II - “Fix You”, by Coldplay, live in São Paulo (2018). 2-5-22

III - “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”. 2-12-22

IV - The mystery of motherhood. 2-13-22

I - “Cherry blossoms.” 1-9-22

In general, sakura, cherry blossoms, represent the impermanent nature of life. Not only is the beauty of the flowers short and sweet, the trees themselves are also short-lived. But there are contradictory meanings as well. Cherry blossoms symbolize both birth and death, beauty and violence.

Source: Brooklyn Botanic Garden

II - “We’ll find a way.” 1-22-22

From Dune (2021).

“The Dreamer's Disease”. 12-11-21.

I - Black Crane and Cempasúchil, inspired by Puerto Vallarta, Mexico during Dia de Muertos. 11-8-21

II - Kyle Rittenhouse. 11-19-21

III - “Beautiful Bones”, inspired by “The Bones are Good - Maren Morris”. 11-19-21

I - Venus, Earth and Mars. 10-9-21

II - “To see a world in a grain of sand / And a heaven in a wild flower / Hold infinity in the palm of your hand / And eternity in an hour.” 10-9-21

III - “Fortune favors the bold”, drawn while listening to Cold Heart. 10-20-21

IV - “The Lemon Tree”, inspired by my mom, and No Time to Die. 10-21-21

V- Benvolio. Inspired by Romeo + Juliet (1996). 10-25-21

I - “The Kick”, from Inception (2010). 9-1-21

II - “Favorite color”. 9-7-21

III - Dune (2021). 9-8-21

IV - “Westchase”, filled with donuts and Teslas - in Houston, Texas. Chasing the western dream, so to speak. 9-22-21

V - “Innerbloom”, inspired by Rüfüs du Sol. 9-25-21

I - Mercury, from the Getty Villa in Los Angeles, CA.

Drawn listening to Kaskade + DeadMau5 - Move for Me. 8-24-21

II - “Tablet Inscribed with Instructions for the Underworld”, from the Getty Villa in Los Angeles, CA. 8-25-21

III - “Greatness is not what you think.” 8-25-21

I - “She held his head above the water, and then let the waves carry them whither they pleased.” 7-22-21

II - “Octopus cake”. 7-20-21

III - “Wrangled”. 7-4-21

“Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.” - Confucius

6-27-21

I - “Die Another Day”. 5-16-21

II - Thanks, Pierre (Petra) - wherever you are. 5-3-21

III - “Heimdall”, from Thor (2011). 5-4-21

IV - Thor gets his power back. 5-16-21

I - “Thor’s Hammer”. 4-18-21

II - “April Fool”. 4-7-21

III - “Bold Blue Jay”. 4-14-21

I - “LA Leaves”. 3-14-21

II - “Rüya”, drawn for a friend and her furry friend. 3-8-21

III - “Just Do It”, inspired by the original work by Austin artist Charles Umlauf. 3-25-21

I - A dream I had. 2-8-21

II - “Magic Mushrooms for Meekachu”, requested by a friend. 2-6-21

III - “Garden of Austin”. Inspired in part by MC Escher’s “The Encounter” and Erastus Salisbury Field’s “The Garden of Eden”. 2-21-21

I - Album cover of Phoria - Caught a Black Rabbit, reflecting “a struggle with nightmares about the enormity of the world,” bending “down to despair” and stretching “up to delight”.

A member of the band explained: "We all have hidden depths, through which our vulnerable excitement flows...sometimes a storm will brew and the glassy surface that hides it all is disturbed.” 1-21-21

II - MLK Day. Original screenshot from Sam Pollard’s MLK/FBI. 1-18-21

III - “Lapis Lazuli Lothario”. 1-16-21

I - “Sunlight”. 12-29-20

II - “Lotus Flower”. 12-24-20

III - “Angel mask”, made by a patient in Houston, Texas, for their nurse, Dec 2020. Photo of the angel displayed last. 12-12-20

IV - “Immortals”. 12-10-20

I - “Fritz Blitz”: Honey badger fights snake. 11-20-20

II - “Fortune Cookie”. 11-17-20

“Beautiful”.

I - “Awareness”, inspired by Eros and Psyche, fueled by Avoure - Aura. 9-1-20

II - “House of Mirrors”. 9-30-20

III - Fear by Khalil Gibran

“The river needs to take the risk

of entering the ocean

because only then will fear disappear,

because that’s where the river will know

it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,

but of becoming the ocean.” 9-30-20

IV - “I believe in love.” 9-21-20

V - In commemoration of the 5-year anniversary of visiting the world’s first church in Antakya (Antioch), Turkey, where “the disciples were first called Christians”. 

The inscriptions are alpha and omega, with a cross in between. 9-12-20

VI - “Sunflower”, inspired by the Post Malone song. 9-12-20

VII - “Taking a break.” 9-12-20

I - “Koya-San Heart Mantra”, inspired by the battlefield of love. Complements “Mosul Prayer.” 8-19-20

II - “TW II”. 8-20-20

III - “I draw the line and cross it first”, inspired by Travis Scott’s The Plan. 8-31-20

IV - “Power to the People”, inspired by Mashrou’ Leila album art, and the song by Pardon Moi. 8-9-20

V - “TW”. 8-8-20

Meditations on masculinity, inspired by Timothée Chalamet’s “The King”. 7-17-20

I - “Strife”. 6-28-20

II - “Green and gold” - a noble laurel wreath in repose at a museum. 6-25-20

III - “Life”. Winding vines, inspired by pressed tulips that retained their electric purple pigment.

IV - “Aoooooo”. Inspiration/credit goes to unknown artist who drew something similar years ago, and it’s been in my mind ever since. 6-7-20

I - This pandemic makes it obvious we are inextricably tied to nature. “Urbis Natura” came from imagining what the cities of the future, post-pandemic, could look like.

There could be more of an emphasis on green space, as well as an integration of green in private space. Imagine looking upon the horizon of a lush jungle that is a symphony of concrete, glass and chlorophyll.

Now imagine that the buildings of this city already exist! An online search brought me to the Bosco Verticale, a pair of residential towers in Milan, Italy with over 900 trees.

One can only imagine, that if buildings like these already exist, perhaps they will become the blueprint for cities of the future. 5-19-20

II - “Arm Peace”, by artist Nick Cave.

The original creation is not my own - when artists were asked to contemplate the COVID-19 pandemic and what it means for society, one by the name Nick Cave responded:

“Arm Peace visualizes my ideas of compassion and strength. An open palm and vulnerable but strong image of humanity pay homage and hold histories of those we have lost and have learned from. At this collective moment, it is about recognizing how we became and how we will be.” 5-9-20

III - “Asparagus, peach and mozzarella.” Mozzarella with blueberry ghost pepper sauce. 5-20-20

IV - “The message”. 5-5-20

I - “Pygmalion and Galatea”. Inspired by a friend, and a dream. 4-27-20

II - “Do It Good”, inspired by Bill Withers on the radio, nostalgia for dressing up and going out, during the COVID-19 pandemic. 4-20-20

III - “Giving”. 4-12-20

IV - “Lady”. 4-2-20

I - “Waves against rock”, inspired by a Japanese print. The rock became the sun. 3-30-20

II - "Sabr", 3-23-20. Sabr (transliterated from صبر) has no direct translation into English. But it is a combination of "patience" and "faith" - in essence, "endurance". 3-23-20

I - “Nike”. 2-16-20

II - “GuGu Golden”, inspired by a friend. 2-7-20

I - “I don’t understand how to miscommunicate”, inspired by C3P0, who speaks 6 million languages, but maybe not love. 1-20-20

II - Inspired by the Arab Spring. 1-24-20

Credit goes to the artist Bahia Shahab, who wrote graffiti in Egypt during the original Arab Spring - an Arabic translation of Pablo Neruda's words:

You can crush the flowers

but you cannot delay the spring.

III - “Broken Heart Bouquet”, pairs well with Moby - Flower. 1-29-20

IV - “Dark Horse”. Fueled in part by Max Richter’s recomposition of Vivaldi’s Summer - The Four Seasons. 1-21-20

V - “A dream”, inspired by a Roman column in Şanlıurfa, Turkey.

I - “Baclava”. 12-24-19

II - “Left brain, right brain.” 12-23-19

III - “Anahata”, the Heart Chakra. 12-20-19

I - Home study: “Vines and cords, chlorophyll and electricity”. 10-6-19

II - I will build you a “Castle in the Sky”, inspired by Star Wars. 10-29-20

III - “Fragile Crescent”, from the Kirkuk Citadel, June 2019. 10-26-19

IV - “Shy fire bunny”. 10-12-19

V - “Aim: Be impeccable with your word”; the first agreement of The Four Agreements. 10-6-19

I - “Constantinople”, inspired by a dream. 8-12-19

II - “Watch her run, can you feel it?” Inspired by a Kings of Leon song. 8-5-19

III - “Please”:

‘Non-Violence’ statue at UN NY HQ at center, surrounded by dates of all mass shootings in US history, including the date of creation, 4 August 2019.

I - “Metal Yarn”. 7-28-19

II - Black Swan Lake”. 7-27-19

III - “Contact”. 7-7-19

I - “Ceres”. 5-18-19

II - “Şule” - the blue part of the flame; inspired by Hades. 5-4-19

III - “Skechers” - inspired by a shoe ad in the metro. 5-4-19

“The Virgin Queen”, inspired by the film, Mary Queen of Scots (2018). 3-18-19

“Keffiyeh Kız Kulesi". This started out as an idea to merge the Statue of Liberty in NYC with the Maiden's Tower in Istanbul. But I put a keffiyeh on Liberty, then remembered the Kız Kulesi was supposed to be there. It seemed like too much with the keffiyeh so I put an abaya on her. 2-12-19

“Melek Taus”. 1-6-19

“Aktivist değilim”. inspired by Taking a Stand in Baton Rouge. 12-2-18

I - "Fig Revolution / Incir Devrimi". 10-14-18

II - "What do you want?". Shirts and dudes seen in Turkey. 10-14-18

I - "Ruhum". 8-25-18

II - "Çift". 8-17-18

I - "Hello Hijab". Walking in the street', my eyes popped when a young woman in purple hijab, purple sunglasses and purple lipstick crossed my path. Also inspired by a psychedelic Satin Jackets album cover. 7-10-18

II - "Equilibrium". Based on the movie by the same name, with possibly the best action scene involving a puppy, ever. 7-30-18

III - “Small World”. Images of musician duos in the US and in Arabia singing the same song. 7-4-18

I - “Animals”. 6-17-18

II - Man of War”. 6-16-18

III - "Vazgeçmek”. 6-1-18

Inspired by the film Wonder Woman (2017). 5-9-18

“Icarus”, inspired by The Lament for Icarus (1898) by H. J. Draper. 4-14-18

1 - “Dance”. 3-17-18

2 - “Crush”, inspired by the quote, “Be like a flower that gives its fragrance even to the hand that crushed it“. 3-17-18

3 - “Mosul Prayer”, inspired by the NYTimes photograph. 3-17-18

4 - “Justice is Dead”,, inspired by the original Stenc Ill work. 3-17-18

2-11-18

I - “Heartbreak”. 1-7-18

II - “Green and Gold”. 1-5-18

I - “Dreaming”. 11-6-17

“Biltong Lovers”. Inspired by South Africa. 7-3-17

“Geyikler ile”, inspired by lyrics to a song.

English translation:

Don’t sing nightingale, don’t sing, for there’s no joy in my dependance 
I’m burning, my friend, from the pain you gave me
My wick snuffed out; no oil found in my lamp
I’m burning, my friend, from the pain you gave me

I became like rivers separated from the sea
I became like ashes of a blackened flame
I became like roses bloomed before their time
I’m burning, my friend, from the pain you gave me

You’ll hear news of me through messengers
Let the ghosts dig deep into my wound
I wandered with wild deer in the mountains for forty years
I’m burning, my friend, from the pain you gave me

I, Abdal Pir Sultan, waxed and waned
I gave up food, drink and sustenance
I was hanged in a noose made of your hair
I’m burning, my friend, from the pain you gave me.

4-30-17

“Kopenhag”. Inspired by The Little Mermaid statue by Edvard Eriksen in Copenhagen, Denmark. 3-23-17

I - “Integritas”. 2-19-17

II - “Roar”. 2-4-17

I - “Poseidon”. 11-30-16

II - "KOL Cover 1". 11-21-16

III - "KOL Cover 2 - Aha Shake Heartbreak". 11-21-16

I - “Chocodoodle”. The chemical formula for the active ingredient in chocolate, theobromine [C7H8N4O2], is remarkably similar to caffeine [C8H10N4O2]. 10-19-16

II - Graphic cartoon experiment 1: “Female”. 10-12-16

III - Graphic cartoon experiment 2: “Male”. 10-22-16

"Pizzalar ABD'den, votkalar Rusya'dan" / "Pizza from the US, vodka from Russia”. 9-14-16

I - Inspired by graphic cartoon of US President Lincoln. 7-28-16

II - “Connect Them”, inspired by book cover. 7-29-16

III - “Justice is Blind”. 7-18-16

I - “Global Reach”. 6-29-16

II - “Aksaray Butterfly". 6-11-16

“State of Grace”. 5-29-16

“Lone Star”. 4-20-16

1 - “Bleeding Heart Liberation”, color 2. 2-21-16

2 - “Bleeding Heart Liberation”, B&W. 2-21-16

3 - “Bleeding Heart Liberation, color 1. 2-21-16

“Janus”. 1-1-16

“Down the Looking Glass”. 12-28-15

I - “Drive”. 11-21-15

II - “Place Des Martyrs, Beirut”. 11-14-15

III - “The Poem”. 11-14-15

“Alif, baa + coffee stains”. 10-31-15

I - “Meerschaum Pipe” - my father’s.

II - “Native American”.

III - “Mare”.